CRMN
by N.E. Wahn
Summary: The orphaned son of a renowned engineer, a programmer that hides his emotions from the world, a street girl with a cynical outlook, and a tortured runaway. They all have their baggage, but maybe together they can be the family they never got to have...killing plenty of monsters along the way, of course.
1. Carmine

A red motorcycle pulled up to a warehouse, parking just outside the entrance. The figure seated atop unzipped his scarlet jacket as he dismounted, stretching his arms a bit. He was young, around 17, with messy brown hair and dark blue eyes. Underneath his jacket was a black t-shirt, tucked into a pair of blue pants. Over his clothes were a pair of brown hiking boots and red gauntlets with cables leading to a strange device on his back. Completing the look was a digital visor over his eyes, painting a HUD of the environment around him. He reached for the door, only to find it locked. With a flick of his wrist, a blade emerged from his gauntlet, slicing through the lock on the door. Just as quickly, the blade retracted, and he kicked the door open.

"Knock knock." He said.

Several men at a table bolted to their feet. The discarded playing cards showed they'd been in the middle of gambling among themselves. The boy eyed his visor, seeing the HUD identify the faces of each man as the people he was looking for.

"Who the hell is this?!" One of them shouted.

"Must be some wannabe Huntsman." Another growled.

The boy kept approaching. "You know, you are just the worst kind of people. You lie, cheat, and steal, and treat it like it's some kind of business. Like you have decent jobs. You hurt people without remorse, what kind of decent job is that?"

One of the men grabbed a gun. "Somebody shut this guy up already."

The rest drew weapons of their own, various swords and firearms being aimed at the boy. In turn, he extended both wrist-blades. He ducked down, bringing the right blade up to block a sword strike, then smacked the flat of the right blade into the attacker's face. The man stumbled back into another of the criminals. The boy then crossed his blades to trap another sword, forcing it down to the ground and snapping it in half. His aura flared up in a flash of red as the ranged criminals began to open fire on him. He sliced open the gun of the nearest one, positioning his blades to block most of the bullets as he charged forward, tackling the most heavily armed one and destroying his rifle. He rolled back to his feet and retracted his blades, as small barrels extended from the sides of each gauntlet. Fire began flowing from each one, forming a line on either side of the criminals to keep them boxed in. One of them tried to rush the boy, when suddenly his motorcycle rushed through the flames, colliding with the attacker.

"We're trapped!" One of them yelled.

"So's he!" Another replied. "He can't take all of us!"

The boy rushed forward with a grin. As he approached, his arms glowed red and orange, his aura almost resembling the fire. With each movement, the fire began to react to him, forcing the movements of each of the criminals within. It appeared as if an elaborate dance, the boy and the flames perfectly in sync, and soon each of the criminals had been disarmed, only a few left unconscious. The boy retracted his weapons, and with a wide motion the ring of fire was dispersed. He looked for the man that had issued most of the orders, assuming he was the leader, and hoisted him up.

"How the hell'd you find us?" The man spat.

The boy scowled. "I do volunteer work at a garage you raided earlier. You were after parts, not money, why?"

"Client was paying more than that place would've had." The man answered. "And don't even bother asking-"

"I don't care about your client." The boy interrupted. "I've seen your gear and strategy before. Eight years ago, something was stolen from the RedOwl tech corporation, Johnathan Dram died trying to protect it."

"What's it to you?" The man asked mockingly.

The boy growled. "I want to know what he was killed for, and I want to know who did it."

"What, was he your role model or...oh, I see." The man gave a short laugh. "Sorry kid, I wasn't part of that job. I dunno who offed your pops."

The boy opened his mouth to speak, only to hear sirens in the distance. "Thought I'd have more time."

He dropped the man and mounted his bike, revving it up. The vehicle burst through the wall and away from the scene, leaving the warehouse and the criminals within.

* * *

_**I never wanted to be here  
I never wanted to fight  
Then you took away what I held dear  
Now it's time for me to set things right  
**_

_**You think that your actions are harmless  
Pretend that it's all just a game  
But people get caught in your madness  
Now my life's burned away just like a crimson flame  
**_

_**I'll burn it down  
Burn it all away  
In hatred you'll drown  
In crimson flames  
**_

_**You're trying to dance with disaster  
You should know not to play with fire  
There is no happily ever after  
Just the crimson flames that fuel my ire**_

_**Call it revenge if you want to  
But I know there's nothing to gain  
So I will just do what I have to  
And burn away the source of all my pain**_

_**I'll burn it down  
Burn it all away  
In hatred you'll drown  
In crimson flames**_


	2. Rackley

A boy sat crouched at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a forested valley. While the night was filled with the normal sounds of nature, the glowing red marks visible on the forest creatures belied their true nature. The boy watched the pack of beowolves through the scope of his sniper. The weapon was a dark blue, and covered in mechanical segments, clearly designed to transform into something else. The katana sheath on the boy's back, nestled between two large Owl wings, betrayed the weapon's standard form. The boy was 17 and dressed nicely, a white button-up, black slacks, matching shoes, and a pair of glasses resting at the bridge of his nose. His face showed no expression, no emotion, just a cold calculation. His black hair was neatly combed, and his glossy blue eyes calmly tracked the creatures through his glasses and scope.

"One strike, one kill." He reminded himself.

He landed a shot right on the head of the pack leader. Almost immediately, its body faded away. The others turned in his direction, growling. He counted fifteen among them. Another went down with a shot to the head, followed by a third just as they started running. He squinted as the tree canopy began to conceal them...but as soon as one was visible, he took the shot. There were nine left by the time they cleared the forest. He went to shoot, but a cloud passed over the moon, concealing his light. The delay was only a few more seconds, but they'd already reached the cliff wall by then and were beginning to climb. He readjusted and shot down three more, before he ran out of ammo. Instead of reaching for a new clip, he spun the weapon in his grip. As it twirled, the parts folded around until the weapon was a katana.

"One strike, one kill." He repeated.

He slid down the edge of the cliff, headed straight for the approaching beowolves. Right as he was about to collide, he pushed off the cliff face, slicing the beowolf in half behind him. He turned around and sliced once more, destroying another. As he fell past the creatures, his wings spread out, catching the wind and turning his fall into a glide. He soared down to the tree-line, watching as the beowolves turned to follow. Holding his blade steady, he charged the monsters, and with three successive strikes he killed all but one. The final skidded to a halt, growling at him.

The boy regarded the lone wolf for a moment. "I don't know if you feel pain or remorse...all the experts don't believe you do...I don't care, to be honest. I just needed to vent." His voice was smooth and emotionless, bordering on monotone.

The beowolf leaped. The boy slashed. The creature faded away.

"One strike...one kill." He affirmed.

His wings stretched out once more, ready to take flight. Before he did, a growl from behind caught his attention. He turned back to the treeline to see an approaching ursa.

"I suppose I should have expected more Grimm to notice me." He commented. "You prey on pain, don't you."

He raised his sword, any fear or hesitation hidden behind a mask of indifference...but even hidden it was there, and the Grimm could smell it. The boy charged the large beast, stabbing it in the chest, pushing his sword all the way through. But the ursa didn't fade. It roared and swatted the boy away. The first true expression appeared on his face, shock and surprise. His aura barely flared up in time to absorb the hit, as he rolled to the side. Thunder roared overhead, as rain began to drip down.

"Shit." He muttered, picking himself back up.

He glanced up at the falling rain, then looked to one of his wings. The water was already soaking his feathers. Flight wasn't an option. He looked back to the ursa, seeing his sword still embedded in its chest. Steeling himself once more, he charged at the creature. The ursa swung at him, but this time he jumped over, using the handle of his sword as a stepping point to leap off the ursa's head. He extended two fingers towards the sky, aura brightening through them, and drawing a crooked path to his other hand, where two fingers pointed towards the ursa. Lightning struck the boy, travelling along the pathway through his other finger, and hitting the ursa full force. The beast stood paralyzed for a moment as the boy landed. Then, it faded, and the boy's sword fell to the ground.

With a relieved sigh, he retrieved the weapon, and fished his scroll out of his pocket. "Hey, Crimson...yeah...can I get a ride...my wings got wet...thanks...I love you too...hey, I know I don't say it a lot, but I'm happy to have you as my brother...I'm always going to miss Lizzie, I just have to manage that my own way...alright, see you soon."

In the shadows, a masked figure watched the boy leave. She stood, her own pair of wings spreading out behind her, but when he turned to look, she was gone.

* * *

_**There was a time when things were right  
We were safe and loved and happy  
Then in the middle of the night  
You were taken away from me**_

_**I know I'd taken you for granted  
I'm sorry for every fight we had  
I lost sight of what mattered  
I never dreamed that things could go so bad  
**_

_**Life strikes like lightning  
Just a flash and then it's gone  
And there's no more use in fighting  
The thunder is an echo of everything that's wrong  
**_

_**I am the echo of that nightmare  
And now forever I'm alone  
I try not to feel But I'll always care  
Cause you were everything that I had ever known**_

_**I know I failed you as a brother  
I know I couldn't keep you safe  
I know I've shared this grief with others  
But nothing cures the pain of knowing I'm the one to blame**_

_**Life strikes like lightning  
Just a flash and then it's gone  
And there's no more use in fighting  
The thunder is an echo of everything that's wrong**_


	3. Midnight

Rain poured through the streets of Vale, soaking anyone without a roof over their heads, and leaking into the houses of the slums. A young girl, roughly 17 years old, walked down the street. The rain didn't bother her at all, barely causing her to turn up the collar of her trench coat. She had auburn hair tied in a braid, vibrant green eyes, and wore a necklace barely visible under her coat. Her hands were stuffed in her pockets as she continued walking. When she passed an alley, two figures emerged, following her. Her eyes briefly shifted to the corner of her view, barely able to see the two. Two more came out of another alley ahead, and she stopped with a sigh.

"Too planned out for a mugging." She muttered. "Too amateur for payback on anything I did." She looked around at the four of them. "Not enough people for intimidation, too many for coercion."

She briefly glanced at the items each were holding. A bag, ropes, and each were armed with a club.

"Kidnapping." She concluded. "I'm guessing it's not something I did?"

"We need your old man's skills for a job." One of them said. "You're to make sure he goes along with it."

"Phillip's retired." She said. "Has been for years."

The man with the bag shrugged. "He can take a break. Come quietly and we don't rough you up."

"Leave quietly and keep your dignity intact." She replied.

One of the men behind her tried to grab her shoulder. In a swift movement, she turned, drawing a weapon and pulling the trigger. A violet blade of energy emerged, held inches away from the man's neck.

"Last chance." She warned.

The rain sizzled off of her blade, causing a trail of steam to rise from it. The four men all stood hesitantly for a moment, before the bag man tried to tackle her. She deftly spun and sliced the bag out of his hand, stabbing him in the shoulder with a dagger she'd kept hidden under her sleeve. As he howled in pain, she pushed him into the thug beside him, causing them both to fall over. She quickly turned to the other two, throwing another dagger into the knee of the further one as she sliced the club of the nearer into little more than a stub.

"Guess your pops taught you a few tricks." One of them muttered.

She scowled. "If I fought anything like my dad, you'd all be dead. I'm being nice."

The final one tried to charge her, only for the water around him to form tendrils, grabbing him by the throat and dragging him down. The girl's aura had formed around her hair and eyes as this happened, giving her the look of being underwater. She deactivated her sword and retrieved her daggers, walking off. Once she was out of sight, the water dissipated, leaving the four men beaten and bruised in the middle of the street.

* * *

_**You wanna play games  
Let's try kicking your ass  
You punks are no-names  
Accept that you're outclassed**_

_**I'm not some damsel  
Just waiting to get bagged  
I'm way too much to handle  
Trust me I'll run you ragged**_

_**Seems like you're new to this  
So I'll drop the niceties  
The moral of the story is  
Don't fuck with me**_

_**You think I'm just a child  
You don't hold a candle to me  
You thugs are reckless and wild  
I've already claimed victory**_

_**I'm not some helpless street rat  
I've fought bigger badder foes  
You're just a chump to scoff at  
A scum nobody knows  
**_

_**Seems like you're new to this  
So I'll drop the niceties  
The moral of the story is  
Don't fuck with me**_


	4. Noir

A girl sat shivering in a dark room...she had unkempt long silver hair, with cat ears and a tail of the same color. She wore tattered black clothing, stained with blood in areas where fresh wounds were visible. Faded scars, old and new, covered her body, but the most prominent mark was her left eye, or rather the lack of one, a large gash visible on that side of her face. Her right eye, being a deep red, was wide with shock and panic, as she curled up, shivering not with cold but with fear. Gradually though, the air became colder. Her breath began to frost in front of her, as a silver aura spread across her body. Slowly, her open wounds stopped bleeding, and closed. Some vanished completely, but the deepest ones merely faded into scars. Her shivering stopped, as frost spread from the ground around her.

"What?" She looked down, touching it. "This is..."

She stood, touching the wall beside her. Frost spread across it on contact. She looked down at her hands, seeing the aura around them. After a few moments, it faded away, and she was just looking at scars and overgrown fingernails. She took a deep breath, focusing again, and the aura came back. She held her hand out, and snow began to fall from it.

"This looks like...what he does." She frowned. "It feels cold, but...he never had...ice, or...whatever this powder is..." She looked at the far door. "Could I..."

She approached the door, pressing her hands against it. Frost spread across the metal, slowly at first. Gradually, it got faster, the frost becoming thicker as it did. The door began groaning as the metal started turning white. Cracks began to appear along its surface, and the girl started hearing voices on the other side. She focused more on freezing the door, and the cracks began to spread faster. Suddenly, the door shattered. Nina blinked for a bit, looking at what lay outside her prison. It was another wall. She was in a long room...no...a hallway. She didn't have long to admire it, though. The guards outside her room had raised their guns, aiming at her.

"Wait, no!" She raised her hands defensively.

And to her surprise, there were no shots. No jolts of pain, no blacking out, nothing. She lowered her hands to look, and saw the guards encased in ice. To be sure, she poked one of them. Nothing happened. She walked past them, surprised, relieved, and...something else. Something she'd never felt before. She kept walking down the hall, until she saw...glowing letters above another door. She couldn't read them, but they were next to a picture of a person walking through the door...perhaps outside? She opened the door and saw a strange blocky floor, each section a step higher than the previous. There were bars on the side, to keep people from falling she supposed. She walked up until she was one room higher, before pausing to look down, then up. There was a coloured light a few rooms up. She kept going, seeing it was the same letters and picture as earlier. She pushed it open, seeing a group of guards walking down the hall, away from her. She waited for them to turn the corner before looking for the picture again. She couldn't spot it in this hallway, so she walked down, taking each turn until she did. She ran to it, feeling that new feeling again. It felt good, better than anything she felt...like she wouldn't have to feel bad again if she could make it to where that picture was leading. That feeling faded when she turned the final corner to find the room full of guards.

"Is that 1-A?" One of them asked.

"The hell is she doing up here?!" Another shouted.

The room turned red and filled with a loud noise that made her ears flatten. In a panic, she tried to freeze the guards, managing to trap a few before the others started shooting at her. She stepped behind a wall to hide from their shooting, throwing her arms out to keep freezing the room. When the attacks stopped, she looked to see most of the room covered in ice, including a set of doors on the far end. Breathing heavily, she ran straight for them, closing her eye as she pushed through, continuing to run until she tripped and fell over something. The ground beneath her felt strange...soft...her fall didn't even hurt that much. She opened her eye to see herself surrounded in that strange white powder...lots of it.

"Did...I do this?" She looked at her hand, seeing the silver glow was gone. "No, it couldn't have been..."

She looked up, seeing the powder falling from...a huge grey ceiling...she couldn't even tell how high it was...so big she couldn't see any walls. She looked around, seeing the floor was bumpy, uneven, haphazard. There were brown objects popping up from it, with weird green...hair? But even that was mostly covered in the powder.

"Am I...outside?" Her voice croaked with disbelief.

She looked back at where she'd come from...a large structure, like a massive box in the middle of...wherever this was. It didn't match anything else, looking ugly and grey. She shook her head, getting back to her feet, and running once more. She saw areas that were clear of the powder, like curvy halls, but outside. She'd have nowhere to hide there. She was better off with the rough brown pillars. Her ears twitched, hearing voices and footsteps. They were following her.

"I can't go back." She whispered to herself. "I can't, I can't, I can't." She saw a figure ahead and stopped, moving behind a tree. "Don't see me. Don't see me. Don't see me."

"I see you." The voice came from where that figure had been, but it was closer.

Her ears flattened, and she held her breath. She could feel her chest pounding. He stepped closer, slowly.

"I heard you too." He added. "What are you hiding from?"

What was she hiding from? Did he not know? Was he not one of the guards? Could he help her? She peeked her head out to look at him. There was a white mask over his face, covering his eyes. He wore strange clothes, not like the doctors the guards or...him...they were black, and looked comfortable. She could barely make out a red picture, but didn't recognize what it was. He had orange hair, with a pair of ears like hers.

"You're like me." She muttered.

He stopped. "Like you?" She pointed to her ears. "You mean a Faunus?"

She'd heard that word before. "That...that's what he calls me...is it something bad?"

The boy frowned at that. "No." He stepped closer. "No, and don't let anyone tell you it is."

Her ears flattened again, and she stepped back, worried she'd angered him. "St-stop."

To her surprise, he did. "Someone hurt you...who?"

"He..." She gulped, looking back in the direction she'd come.

"That's the RedOwl Research Compound." He muttered. "I knew something was going on there, but..." He looked back to her. "How long were you there?"

"I..." The question confused her. "I was...always there."

The boy stepped back, looking shocked. "What do you mean you were..." He looked at the building again, then at her. "What's your name?" His voice sounded...rushed...urgent.

"I...name? I don't know what that is..." She said.

He ran a hand through his hair. "No...no, that can't...who would...what did they call you?"

"Call me?" The more he said, the more confused she was.

He placed a hand on his chest. "I'm Kane."

She blinked. "N.1-A."

He mouthed the 'name' out. "Dear gods...you really were always there...this is your first time outside, isn't it?" She nodded. "Listen, N.1...no, I can't call you that...N...1...A...Nina...is it okay if I call you that?"

"Nina." She repeated. "What is that?"

"It's you...if you want it to be." He answered.

She paused. "Nina...I...it sounds...good..."

He smiled. "Alright then, Nina." For the first time, she saw a smile that didn't scare her...for the first time, she felt safe.

Her ears perked up, as she heard the voices of the guards getting closer. "No...no, no, no..."

Kane's ears perked up too. "Are those the people that hurt you?" She nodded. "Wait here..." He went to leave, before stopping. "That eye...do you want it back?" She reached up to touch the empty socket, and nodded. "Thought so...it might not be the same color, but it'll work."

With that, he ran off towards the voices. Nina sat down again, and thought about Kane's smile...how it felt warm and inviting. She looked up, trying a smile of her own...and it felt good.

* * *

_**What is this feeling  
Like nothing I've felt before  
The cold is receding  
The scars don't hurt anymore  
**_

_**This power is growing  
The energy's all my own  
And for once it's like knowing  
That maybe I'm not alone  
**_

_**No more will I hurt  
I no longer feel cold  
Now I won't be deserted  
So reap what you've sewed  
**_

_**I won't be your victim  
I won't let you hurt me again  
You can tear me limb from limb  
But I swear to myself you will never win  
**_

_**I finally have control  
The freedom I've always dreamed of  
So let the good times roll  
I still have a life and one day I can love**_

_**No more will I hurt  
I no longer feel cold  
Now I won't be deserted  
So reap what you've sewed**_


	5. Volume 1: Chapter 1

The alarm clock in Crimson's room went off, causing the boy to groggily smack it as he rolled out of bed. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, as he grabbed his scroll. Seeing the notification, he grinned.

Reed rose right as the clock hit 6, grabbing his glasses and putting them on. He opened up his scroll, looking at a notification, before putting it away.

An alarm went off on Melanie's scroll, laying beside her cot. She moaned, grabbing it. She pulled her hair out of her eyes to see the notification, and her eyes widened.

Nina jolted awake as Kane shook her, shrieking for a moment. Kane held up her scroll, showing a notification on it. She gasped, eyes widening as she nearly squealed with excitement.

All four felt joy and anticipation at reading the message: "Beacon Exams"

Crimson rushed to get dressed, slipping on his jacket and sunglasses. He paused to make sure they were still synced to his scroll before he laced up his boots.

Reed neatly put on his clothes, taking care in slipping his wings through the holes in the back of his shirt. He spent a few more minutes combing his hair in the mirror.

Melanie lazily grabbed her trench-coat and boots, slipping them on. She pulled her necklace from the pocket of her coat, fastening it around her neck. She braided her hair without looking as she stepped out of her 'room.'

Nina frowned at her scars in the mirror, deciding on a long-sleeved yellow shirt to pull over them. She then ran a hand through her curly hair, contemplating what to do with it. After a moment, she grabbed a pair of scissors and cut it short. She leaned in, lightly touching the scar over her blue eye.

Crimson and Reed both came down the stairs of the Shaden house into the kitchen. Crimson poured two bowls of cereal, and Reed added the milk, before both sat down to eat.

"You excited?" Crimson asked between spoonfuls.

Reed looked up blankly. "Doesn't it show."

Crimson chuckled, as the two continued eating. "Richard already left?"

Reed nodded. "Teachers have to get there earlier. Same with mom at Signal."

"I swear, sometimes I wish I had wings like you guys." Crimson commented.

Reed shrugged. "You could always build a pair."

Meanwhile, Melanie moved to her dad's cot in the abandoned warehouse they called home. He was still buried under blankets and surrounded in empty bottles that reeked of alcohol. She lightly kicked him.

"Hey dad, get up. I stole us some apples." She stated.

He groaned, throwing the blankets off to reveal an orange-haired man of middle age with a scraggly stubble, dressed in all grey. She helped him up, leading him out of the room. She stretched an arm out, activating her semblance. A water bottle flew over to her hand, and she passed it to him.

"Drink up, sober up. I'm not gonna be here today." She stated.

He sighed. "I can take care of myself ya know."

She tossed an apple to him, as she began chewing on her own. "Prove it. If I get in, I won't be back till the weekend."

Elsewhere, Kane prepared a bowl of ramen for Nina. He set it on the table, gesturing for her to eat up. She did so happily.

"Nice haircut." He commented.

"Thanks." She giggled. "Thought it might get in the way if I'm fighting these Grimm you keep talking about."

He nodded. "You'll do great. Just don't let your guard down, or your aura."

"Right." She slurped up a large clump of noodles.

"Do you remember your landing strategy?" He quizzed.

She nodded. "Form a slide with my ice, roll when I hit the ground, keep sliding on ice till my momentum dies down."

"And draw your guns when you roll." He added. "You want to take Grimm out at a distance if you can."

He looked at his scroll. "I won't be here to help you, whether you get in or not. You know that?"

"Yeah..." She looked down. "You still haven't told them about me, have you?"

He shook his head. "Staying out of the Fang is your choice, and I respect it. Only Elizabeth and Able know, and you can trust them."

"I wouldn't go that far." A feminine voice stated.

Nina turned to see an Owl Faunus in White Fang attire emerge from the shadows. Her Grimm mask resembled a Nevermore, and two katana hung at her side.

"Time to go." She stated.

Kane sighed. "Right away, partner."

He walked over and grabbed her shoulder, and they both disappeared. Nina returned to eating her food as if nothing had happened.

At the Shaden house, Reed and Crimson both stepped into the garage, where their gear was stored. Crimson strapped on his weapon, FyreBeat, taking care to make sure it was all fastened properly. Reed grabbed his sheath, slipping it over his shoulder to rest between his wings. He grabbed the keys for Crimson's motorcycle and tossed them over, as Crimson tossed over Reed's katana, Schultz. Reed sheathed the blade, and Crimson mounted his motorcycle. Both were ready. At the warehouse, Melanie checked her pocket to make sure that her dust saber, Violet Cross, was still there, before stepping out. Nina strapped on two holsters, making sure her pistols were charged, before heading out of Kane's house. Crimson rode his motorcycle to the airdock, whilst Reed flew. Melanie and Nina took the bus.

"Your tail keeps hitting my leg." Melanie muttered to the Faunus sitting beside her.

Nina's ears flattened. "Sorry, just excited."

Crimson arrived first. However, he ran into a slight issue with security.

"What do you mean, I can't bring the motorcycle? It's registered as part of my weapon." He said.

"Sir, I'm afraid it's just not mobile." The officer stated.

Crimson threw his arms up. "It's a motorcycle! How is it not mobile?"

Reed approached and cleared his throat. He handed the security officer a document, and the officer nodded.

"Ah, I see. We'll take it to shipping." The officer stated.

Reed turned to Crimson. "I thought you might forget about it, so I printed a copy just in case."

"Thanks." Crimson grinned. "You've always got my back."

Reed nodded and gestured for Crimson to enter. Soon after, the bus arrived, and the applicants got off. Nina rushed over to check-in, perhaps a little too excited. Melanie followed behind casually.

"Name?" Security asked.

"Nina." She stated.

The officer looked at her. "Family name?"

Nina blinked. "I...uh...don't have one."

The officer raised an eyebrow. "So...just Nina...I see, here you are...your new hair looks much better."

"Thank you." She moved past, a bit calmer than before.

Melanie watched the Faunus hurry into the airship, a bit more interested. She approached the officer, saying her name before it was even asked.

"Melanie Lemay." She stated.

The officer looked at her screen. "Says here your father's a Huntsman too...he teach?"

"Was." Melanie corrected. "He retired years ago, so no."

She scowled slightly as she walked past. She didn't enjoy people looking into her past, much less her father's. She subtly followed the Faunus girl, seeing if she had any friends onboard to go to. She didn't. The girl simply took a seat by a window, looking out at the city. Melanie thought about sitting next to her, but shrugged it off. She wasn't there to make friends. She found a seat in the corner, choosing to sit there. The news was playing on holoscreens around the ship.

"More reports of vigilantism. Last week, a group of hired criminals known for stealing equipment from workshops around the city were found unconscious in a warehouse near the docks. Police say the attacker fled on a custom motorcycle, but have found difficulty finding more evidence."

Melanie turned her gaze to the boy she'd seen arguing with security earlier. He'd been adamant about bringing that motorcycle. It was possible, but she couldn't rule out coincidence.

"There is also ongoing investigation of the RedOwl facility that was attacked several months ago. Evidence suggests it was another terrorist strike by the White Fang extremists, though their reasons for attacking a secluded research facility were unclear."

Melanie caught the Faunus girl's ears perking up at that, before flattening as she took a nervous expression. The hair on her tail was standing on end, and its swaying was more jerky and tense.

"She knows something about that." Melanie muttered.

The news reports were cut off by a hologram of a woman all four recognized as Glynda Goodwitch. "Hello, and welcome to Beacon! My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have recieved the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of pace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." With that, the hologram cut off.

Several passengers went to marvel at the view outside the window, but Crimson, Reed, Melanie, and Nina all stayed in their seats. Either preoccupied, familiar, uninterested, or too nervous. Regardless, when the airship landed, they were all happy to get off for their own reasons. They made their way to orientation, and the four found themselves standing side by side as they waited for Ozpin's speech. After a few minutes, he arrived.

"I'll...keep this brief." He started, looking tired and distant. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction."

"Isn't that a bit harsh." Nina muttered.

Melanie shrugged. "Still true."

Ozpin cleared his throat to continue. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

Crimson raised an eyebrow. "I mean...that makes sense, but why be so dark and mysterious about it."

"Slaying monsters isn't sunshine and roses." Reed replied.

Crimson rolled his eyes, following the orientation group to the ballroom. Students were already setting up sleeping bags and pallets. After changing into his pajamas, which were just red pants and a black t-shirt, he pulled out his own sleeping bag. Reed had his own pallet set up, having already changed into black pajama pants. He'd forgone a shirt simply for the comfort of his wings, which folded around his torso to keep him warm. Melanie simply sat in a corner, wrapping her trench coat tighter. Nina was the last to get changed, having waited until everyone else had been done. She came out in a yellow tank top and black pajama pants. With her arms bare, her scars were visible. She hugged her sides, trying to find a secluded spot to rest. That ended up being close enough to Reed and Crimson for the Owl Faunus to notice she didn't have a blanket. He grabbed one and walked over to her.

"Cold?" He asked.

She looked over and shook her head. "No...I, uh...don't get cold...it's part of my...semblance thing...whatever it's called."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, you looked uncomfortable, so I thought I'd give you this." He handed the blanket over.

"Oh...thank you." She took it, wrapping it around herself. "Uh...I'm Nina."

"Reed." He said. "I'll get back to my brother now. Sleep well, Nina."

"R-right." She frowned as he walked away. "Not that I ever do."

Nina thought about not sleeping, but knew that she'd need her energy for tomorrow. She closed her eyes, and let sleep take her...the terror of sleep, filled with memories of torture. When she woke the next morning, it was with a scream. She took a moment to gather her bearings, realizing she was at Beacon...and that her scream had caused half the room to look at her as if she was crazy. She hugged her sides again, rushing to get dressed just to get away from the stares. Melanie, of course, had never undressed, so she was the first one ready, simply waiting to be told where to go. Everyone else headed to the locker rooms to prepare their weapons. Crimson, of course, took the longest at this, having to make sure every function was synchronized with his scroll. He finished up just in time for the announcement over the PA systems.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation?" The loudspeaker chimed. "Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

When the students arrived at the cliff, they found themselves standing on silver tiles marked with the Beacon Academy symbol. Crimson felt it shift slightly to his weight, hearing a series of clicks underneath.

He looked to Reed. "Catapults."

Reed nodded, folding his wings up a bit tighter. Melanie heard the comment and sighed, keeping both hands firmly in her pockets. Nina's ears twitched, and she looked confused.

"What's a catapult?" She wondered.

Everyone in earshot gave her a look, and her ears flattened again. After a moment, they disregarded her to listen to Ozpin and Glynda.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors. And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin began.

Glynda stepped up to continue. "Now I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of "teams." Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates...today."

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon." Ozpin stated. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." There were murmurs and whispers of complaint all across. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path...or you will die."

Nina blinked. "...what..."

Ozpin kept going. "You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

A boy at the end tried to ask Ozpin something. The others didn't pay him any mind, each preparing for takeoff. Crimson was launched first, cheering as he flipped through the air. Reed remained stoic as he rocketed off behind Crimson. Melanie seemed to maintain a casual indifference as she was flung forward. Nina's heart stopped, and she screamed in terror as she was thrown from the cliff.

* * *

_**We may look like common riff-raff  
But we're more than your average crowd  
So for now you can sit back and laugh  
But we're coming in and doing it loud**_

_**Our force is a fire raging  
A passion that will never die  
So we're gonna keep it blazing  
This is our new way of life  
**_

_**We're fast as a bolt of lightning  
We stand strong and our aim is true  
Enemies may find it frightening  
Just pray we're not aimed at you  
**_

_**We're smooth as a flowing river  
Prepare to be swept away  
Our foes will be left to quiver  
When we come to save the day  
**_

_**The ice that grows around us  
May seem merciless and cold  
But truth will erase hubris  
Defined by a heart of gold**_

_**We may look like common riff-raff  
But we're more than your average crowd  
So for now you can sit back and laugh  
But we're coming in and doing it loud**_

_**Empowered by our machinations  
Every piece has a part to play  
With every new revelation  
We're finding our own new way  
**_

_**Every line will have its meaning  
But we're the ones that know the code  
Just give up on your pointless scheming  
Your villainy's cliche and old  
**_

_**Masters of intimidation  
Secrets are the greatest game  
What topples an entire nation  
An army or a single name  
**_

_**When lost without a light to guide us  
We're the ones that carve the path  
A newer understanding finds us  
With courage we'll be free at last**_

_**We may look like common riff-raff  
But we're more than your average crowd  
So for now you can sit back and laugh  
But we're coming in and doing it loud**__**  
**_


	6. Volume 1: Chapter 2

Crimson cheered as he flew towards the forest, flipping with the momentum to better control his direction. He extended the dust tubes from either side of his gauntlets, aiming them straight up. There was a purple flash as he shot up, and immediately he was pushed down to the trees. He then aimed behind him, shooting back and slightly down, slowing his fall and propelling him forward. As soon as he reached the height of the trees, he started shooting forward to slow his fall, rolling as he hit the ground and popping up straight to his feet. He examined his visor to see that his motorcycle was on the way.

"Right, now I just gotta find Reed and grab that relic." He repeated to himself.

He looked up, hoping to see wings. Instead, he saw a cat Faunus rapidly falling towards him, screaming the whole time. For a moment, he considered catching her, but soon enough, her aura flared up, and a massive trail of ice formed. She slid down it, rolling as she hit the ground, and came back to her feet with both pistols drawn. He also noticed her eyes were closed, and she looked absolutely terrified. But as she slowly opened her eyes, she looked...excited.

"Hey, I did it!" She cheered, coming to her feet.

Crimson waved to her, catching her attention. "So...I guess we're teammates now."

"Oh." She blinked. "Um...hi...I'm Nina."

He retracted his weapons, stepping forward to shake hands with her. "Crimson Dram."

She stepped back a bit, looking nervously at his hand. Crimson raised an eyebrow.

"Do you not know what a handshake is?" He asked.

She looked back up at him and shook her head. "S-sorry. I'm...behind on a lot of things."

Crimson frowned. Who was this girl? She was jumpy, reclusive, seemed like she was experiencing everything for the first time, and...covered in scars. He could see them on her hands, feet, and head, and it was likely there were more she was covering. The most prominent one ran across her left eye...her blue eye.

"Here, let me show you." He offered. "Place your hand out like mine."

She did so, and he went in to grab it. Her hair visibly stood on end, and she looked very nervous. Her skin was also cold to the touch. He gave her a reassuring smile, and lightly shook the hand.

"That's how people greet friends." He said.

She blinked. "Wait, so...does that make us..."

Crimson shrugged. "We're partners now. Might as well be friendly about it."

She gave a wide smile, and nodded excitedly. "That sounds awesome!" She looked around, and her ears twitched. "Uh...I think there's something here."

Crimson let go of her hand and extended his blades. "Get ready."

She drew her pistols again, looking very worried. "These aren't those Grimm things, are they?"

"Probably." Crimson stated. "If it doesn't look Human or Faunus, shoot it."

She nodded, angling her ears out to better hear around her. Crimson could see some of the brush rustling, and heard growling. A beowolf leaped out, lunging at Nina, but she shot it down before it got close. Another rushed at Crimson, but he slashed it apart in time. The rest of the pack began charging them, but they managed to fight through. As soon as they were done, Crimson began walking.

"We need to go." He stated. "There'll be more coming."

She followed behind. "How do you know?"

"They're attracted to negative emotions." Crimson replied. "And...I have some baggage."

Nina's ears flattened. "Oh...I uh...don't think it's you."

Crimson stopped, turning to look at her. "...yeah, you might be right on that." He glanced around for a moment. "But we can sort through all that once we're out of here and safe at the school."

She nodded, following a bit closer. Crimson picked up the pace, looking up for a moment.

"Come on, we've got Nevermores overhead, and I don't wanna know what else is on the ground." He said.

Nina began running, when she spotted an ursa charging towards Crimson. "Look out!"

She tackled him to the ground just as the creature swiped at him. Both rolled back up, their auras momentarily flaring. Crimson went in for a spinning flurry of slashes, but was knocked aside. Nina tried to keep her distance, backing up as she shot it, but ended up backing into a tree. Just as the ursa prepared to crush her, a blast of flames crashed into it. The Grimm roared, turning to face Crimson. It dodged his next fire blast, but Crimson used his semblance to make the fire strike the ursa from behind.

"Keep him pinned!" Crimson shouted.

Nina nodded, hands turning white as she blasted a wave of frost that coated the ursa's feet in ice. Crimson rushed forwards, leaping over the creature with a flip to land on its back, and jammed his blade through the Grimm's head. With one final roar, the creature faded away, and Crimson dropped to the ground.

He paused to catch his breath for a moment. "Thanks."

She nodded. "Couldn't let my partner get mauled by a Grimm." She noticed Crimson looking up again. "Why do you keep looking at the sky?"

Crimson dropped his gaze to her. "My brother can fly...I thought he'd come and find me, but...now I'm just wondering if he's okay."

"Well...if he fights as well as you, I'm sure he's okay." She tried to reassure. "He probably just got stuck with a not flying partner of his own."

Crimson shook his head. "Actually, he's better...but he doesn't exactly play well with others."

* * *

_**Hey new friend  
No need to be shy  
Your pain can mend  
You don't have to cry  
**_

_**You've been through hell  
I know how you feel  
But you'll be well  
With time we'll heal**_

_**Take my hand  
You're not alone  
We'll be friends and  
Together we'll grow  
**_

_**Hey there pal  
I've got your back  
No matter how  
We'll face their attack  
**_

_**With you and me  
And more that we'll meet  
We'll be a team  
Now don't that sound neat**_

_**Take my hand  
You're not alone  
We'll be friends and  
Together we'll grow**__**  
**_


	7. Volume 1: Chapter 3

Reed soared over the canopy of trees, looking for Crimson. He'd seen his brother using gravity dust to rocket off, but had lost sight of him shortly after. A boarbatusk growl drew his attention, and he flew down to investigate. He landed to see the girl who'd slept in her trench coat having already decapitated the Grimm.

She looked over at him, and sighed. "Partners, huh?"

"Guess so." He replied. "Did you see a boy in a red jacket?"

"If I did, we'd already be partnered." She deadpanned.

He adjusted his glasses, looking around. "Temple's that way." He pointed in the direction he'd seen it earlier.

She began walking without another word, deactivating her sword and pocketing it. Reed drew Schultz, changing it to sniper form. They kept walking in silence for a moment, when the girl stopped, throwing an arm outward. Reed raised an eyebrow, before looking over in the direction her arm was extended. There was a dagger embedded in a tree, and the telltale black mist of a fading Grimm. He stepped over, removing the dagger. The blade was lined with energy dust, but more than that. It was hollow, and there was a liquid inside. The girl stepped over, plucking it from him, and with a flick of her wrist, it disappeared...most likely up her sleeve.

"Custom." He observed.

She gave him a sideways look. "So? Most Huntress weapons are."

"I thought the sword was your weapon." He replied.

She shrugged, walking off. "I don't limit myself."

He followed, curiosity piqued. "We should know each other's names."

She glanced over at him. "...I'm waiting."

"Reed Shaden." He introduced.

"Melanie Lemay." She replied.

They continued to walk in silence for a while. Occasionally, one of them would see an approaching Grimm, and either Melanie would throw a dagger or Reed would shoot it. This went on for a while as they moved at a steady pace, until they stumbled into a group of rather large beowolves.

Melanie raised an eyebrow, igniting her sword. "I didn't know they got this big."

"Run." Reed stated.

She looked over to him. "Why? They're just beowolves."

Reed shook his head. "Grimm grow larger with experience. The bigger they are, the more battles they've survived...and Grimm don't run away."

"So the more they kill, the more they learn." She muttered. "Yeah, Grimm is a fitting term." She looked over, seeing a stream nearby. "I can take them."

Reed watched as her hair began to glow with aura in a way that made it float as if she was underwater. The water from the stream began to rise up.

"Aquakinesis...that's a convenient Semblance." He observed.

The water grabbed the nearest of the beowolves, dragging it into the stream, and alerting the others. The group began charging at them. Reed began shooting at the quickest of the group, barely doing enough damage to slow it down.

"Melanie, they're too powerful." He warned.

She ignored him, charging into the group. She slid under the one Reed had slowed, slashing along its underbelly, before popping up and stabbing another in the side. Reed switched to electric dust, and shot the stream to damage the beowolf stuck in the water.

"Soak them!" He shouted, switching Schultz to katana form as the blade lit up with electricity.

"You'll get shocked too!" She warned.

He cut through the leg of one of them, tripping it for a moment as it collided into the others. "That's the point!"

She brought a wave of water over all of them, just as Reed stabbed into one. He activated his semblance just as the water hit, redirecting the electricity back into the water. The beowolves howled, black smoke rising from them, before they finally faded away. Reed shut off the electricity, looking at his soaked clothes.

He raised a dripping wing with a sigh. "Well there goes flying."

* * *

_**Bullheaded and stubborn  
**__**Arrogant and proud  
My patience being worn thin  
How were you allowed  
**_

_**You charge without thinking  
Ignoring all advice  
Treat me like a weakling  
Have you heard of playing nice  
**_

_**What's your damage  
What's your problem  
You cause a rampage  
We're meant to stop 'em  
**_

_**Refusing to **_**_communicate  
Endangering our lives  
All you do is aggravate  
Causing us more strife_**

**_You act like you're better  
Pretend you don't need help  
While Grimm are getting madder  
You barely make them yelp  
_**

_**What's your damage  
What's your problem  
You cause a rampage  
We're meant to stop 'em**_


	8. Volume 1: Chapter 4

She walked over to Reed, focusing on his wings. The water began to drip from them a bit more quickly, then began seeping out from all directions, collecting in droplets in the air. She carefully sent all the gathered water back to the stream, drying his wings in the process.

He gave them a quick flap to test, sending a light breeze her way. "Thank you."

She shrugged. "You'd be a sucky partner if you lost your maneuverability."

She took the lead once more, having a good idea where the temple was already. Reed followed behind, maintaining the silence. She'd expected someone more talkative, she wasn't sure if she was relieved or annoyed. She preferred the quiet, but that was when she was alone. With someone, it felt...awkward. She decided to break the silence, thinking it was good to learn more about her partner.

"Electrokinetic?" She asked.

"Only redirection." He answered. "It has to pass through me, but then I can aim it anywhere I want."

She nodded. "Still useful...does it hurt?"

"Only if I don't do it right. I have to channel it through my nervous system, so I avoid touching vital organs." He explained.

"Interesting." She commented, still feeling like something was off. "Why the monotone?"

He stopped. She realized she'd caught him off-guard with that question, though his face didn't show it. She turned to him, waiting to be answered or told off.

"I lost someone...and it was my fault." He delivered the statement with the same neutrality as everything else he'd said.

With that, he walked past her, taking the lead himself. She couldn't help but feel a little bad. She hadn't meant to bring up a painful memory. She understood loss, and even a degree of self-blame...but it seemed like what he'd said was only the surface of something that ran deeper. She resolved not to touch that subject again if she could avoid it.

"That was good thinking on handling that pack." She complimented. "Are you a strategist?"

"No." He replied. "I don't like dealing with things I can't predict."

"So what are your skills?" She questioned.

"Computers mostly." He answered. "I'm good with software and programming...programs are constant...you can always tell what a line of code will do."

She grinned. "I see. You only deal in certainties."

He blinked. "That's one way of putting it...you ask a lot of questions."

"Trying to learn my teammate." She answered.

"Fair." He stated. "So what should I know about you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I control water, kick ass, and fight dirty."

"Simple enough." He observed.

Melanie saw the temple just beyond the treeline. "Looks like we made it."

* * *

_**It's time to grow up  
Time to face the truth  
You may think you're tough  
But this playground's new  
**_

_**I'm not some kid  
With some flashy moves  
While others hid  
I've faced bigger than you  
**_

_**You know nothing  
I've seen more than you  
I ain't bluffing  
And I've got better things to do  
**_

_**Your act so stoic  
Bet it's great at parties  
It's a real neat trick  
But I'm not one for soirees  
**_

_**You wouldn't stand a chance  
Not where I'm from  
So enjoy our little prance  
This song is done**_

_**You know nothing  
I've seen more than you  
I ain't bluffing  
And I've got better things to do**_


	9. Volume 1: Chapter 5

Nina watched Crimson with interest as they traversed through the forest. Kane had warned her to be wary of Humans, but she couldn't see any Faunus parts on Crimson and yet he was...friendly.

"So why do your glasses glow like that?" She asked.

"Hm?" He tapped them. "They're linked to my scroll, so I have a heads up display during combat."

She blinked in confusion. "A what?"

He raised an eyebrow, taking them off and handing them to her. "Try them on." She placed the visor over her eyes, seeing words and targets and things she couldn't even make sense of. "The screen highlights my enemies during a fight. It tells me about their weapons, tracks their movements, and adapts the information in real time."

"Whoa...cool." She handed them back, noticing a scar by his right eye that the glasses had previously hidden. "Did...someone hurt you?" Her ears flattened at the thought.

His hand reached up to touch the scar. "Not exactly. I mean, yes...but they were trying to hurt someone else." He looked at her scars. "Is that what happened to you? Someone...hurt you?"

She hugged her sides and nodded. "For a long time...I got away a few months ago, but...I keep remembering it."

Crimson put his glasses back on, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I've seen you in a fight, and you're about to be in a school full of people training to be the best fighters in all of Remnant. You're going to be fine."

She smiled. "Thanks...it's strange, you're the first Human I've met that's been nice to me."

Crimson rubbed the back of his head. "Some people are just awful. I stopped trying to make sense of it a long time ago. But the good people...the people that care...they're the ones that matter."

She spotted something beyond the treeline, her right eye making out the aged columns and dilapidated pillars. "Oh hey, is that the temple?"

Crimson looked over. "That it is. Good job, partner."

* * *

_**Can I believe it  
****Can this be real  
I know that I see it  
Do I trust what I feel  
**_

_**Are you really different  
Was he maybe wrong  
Are you being honest  
Was I trapped there too long**_

_**How do I know  
Who I can trust for real  
Where should I go  
And what should I feel**_

_**You seem so nice  
But I've been hurt before  
The pain is cold as ice  
Leaves you curled on the floor**_

_**But you were hurt too  
Maybe we're the same  
Can I be friends with you  
Or is this some sick game**_

_**How do I know  
**__**Who I can trust for real  
Where should I go  
And what should I feel**_


	10. Volume 1: Chapter 6

Richard Shaden watched the students with concern. Four more had just arrived at the temple, including Crimson and Reed, but something was off about that group.

"Quite the Grimm magnets, aren't they?" Dr. Oobleck observed. "What exactly are those children going through?"

Richard sighed. "Crimson and Reed are already weighed down by loss. Reed blames himself, and Crimson...I'm worried his quest for closure will take him too far."

"And what of the girls?" Oobleck asked. "Plenty of negativity coming from them, too."

"It's been years since I've seen Phillip. If she's really his daughter...growing up without a mother is tough...I can't even imagine raising my children without Stephanie." Richard admitted.

"And what about miss Nina? She bears a resemblance to Sarah, does she not?" Oobleck queried.

"If that were the case, she and Melanie would know each other." He zoomed his view in on her. "Still...those scars."

"Yes...if her words to Crimson are any indicator, the poor girl's been through something unimaginable." Oobleck stated.

Richard shook his head. "I've seen those scars before."

"Let's not jump to any conclusions." Ozpin cut in. "Each of those four have faced their own trials, and that has brought them here. They have many more to face, but it is our job to provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to face such trials."

The teachers nodded in agreement, turning their attention back to the forest. Crimson rushed over to the temple, looking for the relics.

"Are these...chess pieces?" He murmured, grabbing a black knight.

Just then, Reed and Melanie emerged from the treeline. Crimson gave Reed a wave, tossing him the other black knight.

"We should stick together." Crimson assessed. "We have a better chance of making it back as a group."

Nina looked over at the treeline. "Uh, guys?"

"How far away is it?" Reed asked.

Crimson tapped his glasses. "Maybe five miles? Should be here soon."

"Guys, there's something big-" Nina tried to say, still being ignored.

Melanie sighed. "Hey bromance, catgirl's been trying to warn you about a king taijitu for a straight fifteen minutes now."

Both boys looked over, seeing the massive two-headed snake Grimm crawling towards them. They readied their weapons, and the two girls followed suit.

"We don't need to kill it." Crimson instructed. "Just hold it off for a few more minutes."

"Her semblance is aquakinesis." Reed stated, nodding to Melanie.

"Alright." Crimson looked around. "Reed, go high, aim for the eyes. Trench coat, pick a head and keep it distracted. I'll go for the other one. Nina, keep it pinned."

Reed took off, changing Schultz to sniper form. He flew in a circle around the creature, shooting at its eyes. The Grimm hissed, swaying its heads to dodge Reed's shots. Nina saw her opportunity to slide in, freezing the central mass of coils solid. One of the heads tried to snap at her, but a wave of water smashed into it, grappling with the head. Crimson began shooting fire at the other head, causing it to rear back, hissing in pain. Nina kept running around the creature's tail, freezing as much of it as she could, but the more the Grimm was injured, the more it squirmed, smashing through her ice. She barely dodged as the black head lunged at her, before Crimson again blasted it away with his flames.

"How much longer?!" Reed shouted.

Crimson looked off, seeing his motorcycle approaching rapidly. "Everybody make a break for the cliff! Trench coat, you're with me!"

Melanie scowled, but followed behind Crimson. Reed flew off, as Nina began freezing the ground under her to 'skate' away. Crimson grabbed onto his motorcycle, spinning it around in a fluid motion and climbing on, holding his hand out for Melanie. She took it, and he pulled her on, popping a wheelie as he drove off. Behind them, the king taijitu shattered its icy prison, sliding after them. Nina turned to be skating backwards, as she fired off at the massive Grimm.

"It's gaining on us!" Melanie shouted.

Crimson took a quick glance. "We'll have to finish it off at the cliff...I have a plan, just bear with me."

Meanwhile, Richard followed every action through his scroll, watching with concern. Ozpin stepped beside him, drinking coffee as usual.

"Is something troubling you?" He asked.

Richard looked over at Ozpin. "My kids are being chased by a king taijitu, Oz."

"Ah, I see." He nodded. "And...you lack faith in them?"

Richard hesitated. "...I have a right to be worried."

"As a father, yes." Ozpin stated. "You are not here as their father, Richard. You are here as their teacher. View them not as your children, but as capable young students. If you truly care about them, objectivity is the best you can do for them. Assess their abilities. Tell me their strengths and weaknesses, so that as headmaster, I can enable you to do your duty as teacher."

Richard sighed, and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry...I noticed you've been focusing on Taiyang's children...isn't Ms. Rose a little young to be here?"

"She has silver eyes." Ozpin stated. "I'm sure I'll receive scrutiny for her quick advancement, but her level of skill warranted it."

"I'll admit, Oz. You're starting to look desperate." Richard said.

Ozpin looked him in the eye. "I am...and for good reason."

"I know." Richard conceded, turning his attention back to the battle.

Melanie leaped off the motorcycle, just before the base of the cliff. Crimson pulled up into another wheelie, firing grappling hooks up to the top of the cliff. The bike began to climb the wall, and the large Grimm chased after it. Just as Crimson reached the top of the cliff, he released a blast of flame to distract the snake Grimm. While it was dazed, Reed flew down and stabbed it in the eye, activating the electricity on his sword, and channeling it through to strike the other head as well. He jumped off, just as the paralyzed creature began to fall. At the base, Melanie formed a large spike of water, and Nina froze it. The Grimm was impaled, giving one last hiss before fading away.

* * *

"Crimson Dram, Melanie Lemay, Nina, and Reed Shaden." Ozpin announced.

Melanie froze, looking at Crimson. "You're...Crimson Dram."

Crimson didn't notice, focused on Ozpin's words. "You four recovered the black knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as team CRMN (Criminal), led by Crimson Dram."

Crimson's eyes widened. "Led by me?"

Reed placed a hand on his shoulder. "It was your plan that took down the king taijitu."

"Yeah, you did great!" Nina cheered.

As the four stepped off stage, Richard grabbed Crimson and Reed, pulling them into a hug. "I'm so proud of you two!"

Reed patted the man's back, being careful not to tangle either of their wings. "Thanks dad."

Crimson chuckled awkwardly. "Hey Richard."

The man released the two of them. "You did well out there." He stepped back to look at the whole team. "All of you." He looked to Crimson for a moment. "Your father...Johnathan...he'd be proud."

Crimson tensed up at that. "I...that's...good to know."

"You all should get going." Richard said.

As the group walked past, he gestured for Melanie to stay. She raised an eyebrow, stepping aside with him.

"Are you...Phillip Lemay's daughter?" He asked.

She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"I was his teammate...back when he was a Huntsman." Richard explained. "I just...I want to know how he is...if he's doing alright..."

She looked around for a moment, as if someone would be listening in. "He's...alive." She ran a hand through her hair. "He drinks a lot, but not much else...he's out of shape, but he can still take care of himself."

Richard nodded. "Whenever you can...tell him I said hi. It would be nice to see him again, but...if he isn't ready, I won't push."

Melanie nodded, ready to leave...but she hesitated. "Did you know my mom?"

Richard was caught off-guard, but nodded. "Is there something you wanted to know about her?"

There was everything she wanted to know about her...but she couldn't take too long, and she wasn't ready. "I just...I'd like to talk about her sometime."

Richard gave a weak smile. "Alright...Crimson and Reed know where to find me, so..."

She nodded and walked off. "I'll reach out when I'm ready."

* * *

_**Agree or disagree  
We have to trust  
It's bigger than you and me  
So let's fight as us  
**_

_**We know what we can do  
So let's watch our backs  
Maybe if our aim is true  
We'll win with this attack**_

_**We have our differences  
We know we're not the same  
The key to balance is  
In playing the game  
**_

_**We'll take on anything  
Together we can win  
We all know what we bring  
So put all our hands in  
**_

_**We have to trust each other  
So let's make it count  
Working with one another  
We'll knock everything out**_

_**We have our differences  
We know we're not the same  
The key to balance is  
In playing the game**_


	11. Volume 1: Chapter 7

Crimson stood across from Russel, armblades extended. Russel twirled his daggers with a cocky grin.

"Come on, I haven't got all day." The boy taunted.

Crimson rushed forward, but the boy flipped over him, attempting to strike at Crimson's back. Crimson turned to block just in time, attempting to jab with his other blade. Russel merely sidestepped, kicking Crimson in the back of the knee. Crimson grunted, having to drop down, but managed to deflect the next series of strikes, before pivoting back to his feet.

"Having trouble there?" Russel asked.

Crimson scoffed. "You wish."

Russel came in for a rapid spinning slash, leading into a jab, but Crimson dodged both. He made a slash at Russel's throat, but the boy bent backwards, ducking under, before sweeping Crimson's legs. Crimson fell flat on his face, visor falling off, and Russel planted his boot firmly on Fyrebeat's backpack component.

"Awww, looks like you tripped. Gonna go cry to mommy?" The boy teased.

Crimson snapped, rolling to knock Russel off of him, and pivoting up to pin the boy down, crossing his blades right under the boy's head. He leaned in close with an intense glare.

"Don't. Ever." He growled.

Russel's eyes were wide with fear. "S-sorry."

A buzzer went off, as Professor Goodwitch stepped over. "That's quite enough, boys. Crimson wins."

He huffed, getting up and retracting his weapons. He took a moment to retrieve his sunglasses, giving Russel a dirty look before he put them on. He went back to sit with his team while Glynda broke down what each of them did wrong. Stressing the costs and benefits of taunts, as well as emotional outbursts in a fight. On the way out, Reed tried to speak to Crimson.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"No." Crimson kept walking.

He went straight to the locker room, stowing Fyrebeat, and slamming the locker. On the way to his dorm, he opened his scroll, selecting a contact labelled "Dr. Gray" and hovering over the call button. With a sigh, he closed the scroll, stepping into the dorm. Reed was waiting inside for him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Reed asked.

"No." Crimson stated.

Reed adjusted his glasses. "Do you need to?"

Crimson scowled. "Drop it."

"You know, that's the first time Nina saw you angry." Reed commented. "She said it was like you were someone else...someone scary."

"Dammit Reed, can I just have five minutes of peace!" Crimson shouted.

Reed raised an eyebrow. "It's my dorm too."

"Fine! I'll find somewhere else!" Crimson stormed out of the dorm.

He walked down to the locker room, deciding to do some maintenance on Fyrebeat. Team CRDL was already there.

"Well looky here." Cardin stated. "I was hoping to wait for Jaune to come down here, but instead we got the momma's boy that pulled a dirty move on Russel."

Crimson scowled. "Not today, Cardin."

"Ooh, so scary." He teased. "I thought you were typically the nice guy."

"Yeah, well someone touched a nerve. Can't imagine who." He replied, heading to his locker.

Sky intercepted him. "Not so fast, momma's boy."

As soon as the words came from Sky's mouth, Crimson punched him in the face. Russel and Dove immediately grabbed Crimson's arms, holding him back.

"Bad move, C." Cardin said, leaning in. "We didn't want to get violent, but now-"

Crimson head-butt Cardin, stomping on Dove's foot and swinging him into Russel. Sky immediately grabbed Crimson in a headlock.

Cardin rubbed his nose. "Alright, what is your problem?"

"Other than you and your friends being racist pricks?" Crimson asked.

"Now that's just rude." Cardin muttered

He punched Crimson in the gut, causing Crimson to cough a bit. Crimson brought his legs up and kicked back, knocking Cardin away.

"Maybe if you asked nicely, I'd tell you." Crimson said, elbowing Sky to escape the headlock. "But to put it lightly, everything you do pisses me off. I have an adopted Faunus family that's been nothing but kind to me, and you and your friends torment Faunus like it's your favorite pastime. I take being a Huntsmen seriously, and you use it as an excuse to get in fights. And you know what? I thought I could just ignore you and let it go. But then you thought it was a good idea to mock my mom."

"Oh, I'm sorry, should we have gone for your dad instead?" Dove teased.

Crimson rushed Dove, pinning him against a locker and punching him repeatedly. "MY DAD IS DEAD YOU SON OF A-"

Sky tackled Crimson, holding him down. Russel went to check on Dove, who was dazed, but his aura had taken most of the damage. Crimson saw a boot coming towards him, then everything went black.

* * *

Crimson woke up in the dorm, aching all over. He sat up, rubbing his head, as memories of the fight gradually came back to him.

"You okay?" Reed asked.

Crimson looked over, sighing at seeing his brother sitting across from him. "I'll walk it off."

"Still angry?" Reed continued.

Crimson shook his head. "I think I got all that out."

"Thought so. I didn't see what happened, but they left just as I entered, so it was pretty easy to figure out." Reed stated.

"How do you do it?" Crimson asked. "How do you...stay so calm?"

Reed paused. "Discipline...frequent venting...guilt..."

"I just...I miss them, Reed...so much..." Crimson said.

Reed looked over. "Don't do what I do...you're a good person...kind..."

"Then what do I do?" Crimson ran a hand through his hair, voice cracking slightly. "How do I...handle this."

Reed placed a hand on Crimson's shoulder. "I'm not the right person to lean on...but, you know who is."

"She probably won't even remember." Crimson stated.

"Probably." Reed admitted. "But you don't need her to...you just need to talk to her for a moment."

Crimson looked up at Reed. "Thanks...can I have a moment?"

Reed nodded, leaving the room. Crimson pulled his scroll back out, selecting Dr. Gray's number again. With a deep breath, he pressed call.

The scroll dialed for a bit, before connecting. "Hello...it's Crimson...Crimson Dram...yes, Carmen's son...may I speak with her...my mother, I mean...I know, I just need to talk to her..." He waited, as the scroll was handed to someone else. "...hey mom...yeah, it's me...I'm seventeen now...yeah, I know...I made it into Beacon...I'm gonna be a Huntsman, like him...mom...I just...I miss you...I miss him too...yeah, Richard and Stephanie have been taking care of me...it's nice to hear you...I love you too."

* * *

_**You don't know the first thing about me  
You're stuck up with your schoolyard taunts  
All my life I've failed at escaping  
From the one thing I truly want  
**_

_**She can barely remember my name  
And he is dead and gone  
Stop pretending it's just a game  
All that could has gone wrong  
**_

_**All consumed by the fire  
All that's left is this path  
The only thing I desire  
Is the one thing I'll never have  
**_

_**You're a thug and an agitation  
You're not even worth my time  
All these feelings of comdemnation  
Spurred upon by a single crime  
**_

_**Everything was fine before  
Then it all just fell apart  
Where I once had open doors  
Now there's just this broken heart  
**_

_**All consumed by the fire  
All that's left is this path  
The only thing I desire  
Is the one thing I'll never have**_


	12. Volume 1: Chapter 8

Crimson peeked out at the enemy team, seeing them in attack positions behind their cover. "Alright...I have a plan. Reed, take to the sky. If you get above them, their cover's useless. We've got streams to either side, so Melanie, take the right. Nina, take the left. I'll charge straight."

"That is a terrible plan." Melanie countered.

"Go!" Crimson ordered, leaping over his cover.

As soon as Reed went up, the enemy team concentrated fire on him, shooting him down. Melanie went left, using the water to attack the team, and Nina went right, making an ice wall to give her extra cover. However, Crimson's direct blast of flames on the group melted Nina's ice, and evaporated Melanie's water, dousing his own flames in the process. The three were quickly shot, and the simulation ended.

"That, class, is a perfect example of how to get yourself and your team killed." Professor Port stated. "Can anyone point out what was wrong with the strategy?" Silence. "No? Very well then, Crimson, do you know what was wrong with it?"

"Execution?" Crimson guessed.

"No." Port replied. "One of your teammates does know, and tried to warn you. You failed to listen to input from your team." The class bell went off, and the students began to pack up. "Ah, we're out of time. Very well, class dismissed. Team CRMN, you have the weekend to amend your strategy and build a better one. I suggest you also build better trust with the rest of your team."

The team packed up their supplies and left, headed to lunch. Melanie kept shooting Crimson dirty looks, but every time he tried to talk to her, she walked away.

"Okay, what is her deal?" Crimson asked Reed. "Was she like that during the entrance exam?"

Reed shook his head. "It started after our team was announced."

"Yeah, well it needs to stop." Crimson muttered.

They went through the rest of their classes like this, much to Crimson's annoyance. The more he persisted, the more she evaded him, and the quicker he was losing patience with her. When they got back to the dorms, he snapped.

"Alright, the hell is your problem?" He asked.

She looked at him for a moment. Saying nothing, she turned away, going to her bed and pulling out her scroll.

Crimson walked over. "You can't have it both ways here. If you're gonna call me out, no more cold shoulder."

She sighed and looked up. "Look, I didn't want to be on this team in the first place. If I'm stuck with you, the least you could do is be a decent strategist."

"Then help me learn!" Crimson countered. "This is a school, I'm not going to start off as the best leader ever."

"Fine, you wanna know what you did wrong?" She stood. "How about everything. First off, Reed has wings, of course the enemy would expect him to be in the air, and if they expect it they can prepare for it. Not only that, but he has no cover up there. Sending me along the stream was ridiculous. I don't need to be next to the water to use it. On top of which, my combat style is suited for stealth and surprise attacks, not guarding your flank. Putting Nina on defense wouldn't be so bad if your semblance didn't directly counter hers, but what's the point of having her cover you if you both cancel each other out. Meanwhile, you were just trying to be the hotshot, charging the enemy head on, when you have the least maneuverability out of all of us. Nina is the most agile and has the best reflexes, Reed's the best shot, and I'm the stealthiest, but you actually failed to account for the fact that you're a close-quarters tank. Your melee skills combined with your semblance could be devastating if you actually chose to apply them."

Crimson paused. "I...thank you." She sat back down, focusing on her scroll. "Come on, at least let me thank you."

"Thank me by raising our grade on monday." She muttered.

Crimson frowned, but left her alone. The next morning, Crimson was gone, and Melanie found a note on the door.

She turned to the others, reading it aloud. "Mandatory team exercises. Gear up and meet me in the courtyard."

The team found Crimson using Earth dust to make vaguely humanoid statues. Richard was sitting on a bench, watching.

Crimson looked up, seeing the rest of his team arrive. "Port said we need to build trust and work on our strategies, and as team leader I'm in charge of our training. So we're each going to spend time learning each other's fighting styles. We're going to spar with each other, and we're going to practice on the targets. We need team attacks, communication, fluidity. Professor Shaden is supervising, and I've asked him to give pointers on where he sees we could improve."

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "Lot of effort for a class grade."

"Not just a grade." Crimson said. "I need to take leading seriously...I'm sorry I didn't listen before. You showed me I didn't know my own team, so I'm going to fix that. We all need to know each other."

Melanie rolled her eyes, but allowed a slight grin as practice began. They kept at it the whole weekend, becoming more cohesive and learning to communicate. When monday came around, and they stepped into military strategy again, they were ready. Port set up a similar simulation as before, but the environment had undergone changes. The four immediately rushed to cover, as Crimson assessed the situation.

"Alright, here's the plan. Reed, stay back and snipe. Take any shot you can get, even if it's just to wound. Nina, Freezer Burn, right down the middle. Melanie, while we've got their attention drawn, head into the treeline. Get behind them, go for a cheap shot, anything to lower their guard. Nina and I will take the opportunity to back you up. Reed, once the three of us are all in the fray, you have a clear path to us. Any questions?"

He looked at each of them, lingering for a moment on Melanie, but nobody replied. He gave a nod and leaped over his cover, sending a massive blast of flames towards the enemy. He then pivoted around Nina to allow her to raise an ice wall as cover. He ran past the ice wall with another blast of flames, extending his arm-blades to engage in close combat. Melanie popped out of the treeline, hitting the four opponents with a wave of water. Immediately, an electric shot from Reed hit the four, stunning them for the whole team to get in close and take one out. The simulation ended, and Port clapped.

"Well done." The professor announced. "Now, what error did you correct to make this strategy work?"

Crimson looked back at his team. "I was seeing my team's abilities at face value, and didn't know them well enough to balance their strengths and weaknesses. I needed a better understanding of how each of them operated to use them to the best of their abilities."

"Excellent." Port commended. "Then you've grasped the lesson of communication and trust. You have to understand what you have, before you can ever use it properly. Class dismissed."

As they walked out, Crimson looked to Melanie. "So...friends?"

She glanced at him for a moment, before walking away. "Not yet...but good job."

* * *

_**I can try to play it cool  
Yet you'll still see the truth  
You couldn't care about the rules  
There's no innocence of youth  
**_

_**So what's the story  
What's the problem  
Why ignore me  
Why act solemn  
**_

_**You're cool under pressure  
You're hot as the sun  
You act at your leisure  
You're friends with no one  
**_

_**So why keep pushing me away  
Tell me what's the deal  
It's not just monsters to be slain  
Our life spent here is real  
**_

_**I just want to be friends  
Yet you couldn't care less  
Before this conversation ends  
Just please give me a guess**_

_**You're cool under pressure  
You're hot as the sun  
You act at your leisure  
You're friends with no one**_


	13. Volume 1: Chapter 9

Crimson sat in the workshop, tinkering with his gear. He was focused on FyreBeat's backpack component, trying to improve the dust storage so he could shrink the mechanics. As he worked, Nina peeked over his shoulder.

"Hey...so, what are you doing?" She asked.

"Replacing the dust tubes in FyreBeat with a special alloy so the storage space is more efficient without sacrificing safety." He answered without looking up.

She pulled up a seat, observing. "Huh...and you don't need help for that?"

"Not really." He stated. "I've had a lot of practice working with machines. It's...relaxing."

She raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

He paused. "My dad was an engineer...he used to sit down with me and teach me about machines. We would work on things together...motorcycle engines, computers, dust igniters...when I'm working on a machine, it's like I can feel him."

"What...happened?" Nina asked.

Crimson removed his sunglasses. "That's...so, my dad was CEO and co-founder of a big tech corporation. Eight years ago, there was...some kind of heist. Someone was trying to steal something from the labs. I went to the labs a lot back then, so...I was there. My dad was also a Hunstman, so when security was taken out, he ran in. I hid, but I could see it all...one of the heist crew gave him a tougher fight than he was expecting." He reached up to rub the small scar under his eye. "I got this from a stray gunshot...right before the next shot broke my dad's aura. He was hurt, but...he kept chasing them. There was a brawl, and at some point he must've been stabbed in the stomach...he bled out by the time I got to him."

Nina's ears were drooped, but her eyes were wide with sympathy. She stumbled around words for a moment, before pulling Crimson into a hug.

"I never had parents." She whispered. "I don't know how it feels to lose someone you...love...but...I know what it feels like to...hurt...in a way that doesn't heal."

Crimson hugged back. "Thank you."

She released him, sitting back. "Do you have...anyone else?"

"I...there's my mother, but...she's..." He hesitated, not sure how to phrase his explanation. "She's in Atlas...she's...not really fit to take care of anyone...so, I live with Reed's family."

"And...do you like them?" She asked.

Crimson was taken aback. "Do I...well, yeah...Reed's like a brother to me."

"And what about his parents?" Nina continued.

"Richard and Stephanie?" Crimson scratched his head. "I mean...they're not my parents..."

"But do you love them?" She persisted.

Crimson sighed. "That's...not an easy question...I'm grateful for what they've done for me, I really am...I just don't know if...it doesn't feel right..."

Nina paused, thinking. "Could you...take me to meet them?"

"But...you already know Richard." Crimson commented.

She shook her head. "I know Professor Shaden. I don't know the Richard you know, and I've never met Stephanie."

Crimson tried to think of a way out, but came up blank. "Alright. Just let me finish up here."

Nina giggled happily as Crimson finalized FyreBeat's upgrades, then he led her out to his motorcycle. She took a seat, holding onto Crimson a bit awkwardly, before the boy took off. It wasn't a short drive, but the whole time Nina was captivated by the scenery. They drove all the way down to Vale, finally stopping at a house in the residential zone. Crimson pulled into the drive, parking his motorcycle and helping Nina hop off. He walked over and waved his scroll by the door, unlocking it.

"Richard? Stephanie? I'm home!" Crimson announced, stepping in.

A woman with large owl wings stepped out of the living room. She wore a simple black dress, and her eyes immediately fell on Nina.

"Who's your friend?" She asked with a grin.

Crimson noticed the look, and chuckled nervously. "She's my teammate. Steph, meet Nina. Nina, Steph."

Stephanie went over to shake hands with Nina, but frowned seeing her scars, her eyes glowing slightly the moment their hands touched. "You've...been through a lot." A look of panic hit Nina's face, but Stephanie was quick to reassure her. "You don't have to talk about it."

Crimson stepped in. "Steph...I think you should...y'know..."

She let go of Nina. "Right, sorry. My semblance activates on skin contact. I normally try not to pry, I've just...I was caught off-guard."

"It's...fine." Nina said. "It felt...nice."

"That's a side effect." Crimson said. "The connection is two-way, so while she's feeling how you are...you're feeling how she is. Steph just tends to be...tranquil."

She nodded. "I have my troubles, but...I choose to focus on the blessings in life, rather than its tragedies."

"Oh...I see." Nina hugged her sides. "The truth is...I came here because I wanted to see what a family is like...I...never had one."

Stephanie blinked. "You should...sit." She gestured to a couch. "Crimson, you don't have to stay, but I think it would help."

"I'll stay." Crimson assured. "Nina, Steph is a huntress, but she's also a therapist. She helps people when they're troubled or confused."

Nina looked at Stephanie curiously. "So...people talk to you? About...bad things?"

Stephanie took her seat, allowing Crimson and Nina to do the same, before she continued. "People talk to me about whatever they need to talk about. Crimson and I have spoken many times about his troubles."

"After I lost my dad, I was...angry." Crimson explained. "I still am, but...Stephanie helped me manage it."

"But you're so nice." Nina said.

Crimson shook his head. "Remember that outburst in sparring? When Russel brought up my mom?"

"Did anyone get hurt?" Stephanie questioned.

Crimson shook his head. "Bruised, but it's combat training. Aura healed it in a day."

"What did he say?" Stephanie asked.

"Nothing direct." Crimson answered. "Schoolyard taunts, mom jokes...he didn't know."

"Why did you snap?" She questioned.

Crimson paused. "I...don't know...adrenaline, exhaustion...and...I miss her..."

Nina put a hand on Crimson's shoulder. "He hurt you where you were weak...getting angry doesn't make you a bad person."

"I know...but...what scares me, is that...I wanted to hurt him." Crimson ran a hand through his hair. "In that moment, I imagined him feeling all the pain that I felt...what it would do to him."

"And did you do that?" Nina asked.

Crimson looked at her. "What? I...no, of course not."

"Then it was just a passing thought...they happen." She closed her eyes. "Every morning, I wake up screaming, because every night I relive all the pain I was put through. When I think about what was done to me...I think about doing every single one back, and more. But...I don't think I could actually do it. You're not wrong for wanting to get rid of the pain...but you choose to accept that it doesn't."

Crimson paused. "I guess that makes sense...Nina, thank you. And...you were right."

"About what?" She asked.

Crimson looked over to Steph. "I do love them...because they're still family."

"What made you doubt?" Stephanie asked.

Crimson sighed. "I thought that...if I got too close, it might...bring up bad memories...for both of us. I don't want to seem like a replacement."

"You're not." Stephanie said. "But...you are a member of this family nonetheless...and we love you too."

* * *

_**There was a time  
When I had everything  
When life was kind  
Before my suffering  
**_

_**I was alone  
Lost and afraid  
Now I have this home  
This family we made**_

_**With you and me  
Together we'll heal  
This new family  
And all that we feel**_

_**You taught me hope  
And you made me see  
At the end of my rope  
There's help still for me  
**_

_**You showed me life  
A thing to protect  
That despite all my strife  
I can reconnect  
**_

_**With you and me  
Together we'll heal  
This new family  
And all that we feel**_


	14. Volume 1: Chapter 10

Crimson was in the dorm, working on his homework, when he got a notification. He checked his scroll, seeing something interesting. The man from his warehouse fight, Zachariah Alabaster, had been cleared of all charges. The news report said he'd been working undercover for RedOwl's private security.

"Since when does private security go undercover?" Crimson muttered.

He did a quick search for labs and workshops that had been attacked since. A lot came up for dust shops, but those were being regarded as White Fang attacks. He hadn't seen a single Faunus in the group he'd fought before. Finding little, he decided to make a call. He selected a contact labelled as Mr. Coille and called. The line connected, but instead of hearing Mr. Coille's voice, he heard someone else's in the background.

"Come on, we know you've been cooking up some nice gizmos in here. Show us the good stuff and nobody gets hurt." The voice said.

Crimson bolted up, running for the locker room. He got his gear on as quickly as he could, making a run for his motorcycle. Ignoring street lights or speed limits, he raced off towards the workshop. When he got there, a large truck was parked right outside, and several armed men were threatening the employees. He hopped off, and approached the truck. The driver was still sitting there, likely ready to take off at a moment's notice. Crimson used his armblade to stab through the windshield, grabbing the driver and pulling him out. He chucked the man through the window of the workshop, stepping in shortly after.

"Sorry about the window." He said, grabbing the attention of the robbers.

They all raised their weapons at him, and Crimson looked to the people in the back. "Get out of here. Call the cops."

"Don't even think about it!" The head thug countered.

Crimson recognized that voice. "Zachariah Alabaster. And here I heard you were innocent. You're not likely to be cleared twice."

"Pretty soon it won't matter." He said, pointing his weapon at the wiry figure of Mr. Coille. "Now you're gonna drop your weapon, or your former boss here is gonna get hurt. And don't even think about calling your classmates. If I hear sirens, these people die. If I see any Huntsmen or wannabes, these people die. If that fancy bike of yours moves so much as an inch, these people die."

Crimson began unfastening his gauntlets, letting them hang from FyreBeat, as he slowly slipped it off. He then raised his hands in surrender.

"Lot of effort to go through for payback here." Crimson said.

Zachariah scoffed. "Believe me, if I wanted payback I'd just shoot you."

Crimson raised an eyebrow. "Then what is this?"

"Someone wants to meet you, kid." Zachariah stated. "Bag him."

Crimson ducked, right as a thick frosty mist exploded out from FyreBeat. The man meant to grab him tripped over the weapon, and Crimson hit him with a hard uppercut. His HUD had mapped out the room, and was tracking the dust signatures of the weapons to assist him. He sprang back up, grabbing Zachariah's rifle and slamming it against the man's face, before chucking it out the window. Then he slid over and refastened FyreBeat, extending the armblades. He began pivoting between the thugs, slicing their rifles apart. One came at him with a sword, but Crimson knocked it aside and elbowed the attacker in the gut. As the mist thinned out, he looked around, but there was no sign of Zachariah.

"Where did-" He was cut off by a pistol pressing against the back of his head.

"Right behind you." Zachariah said.

Crimson frowned. "My aura's still up."

"Don't care." The man fired.

Crimson felt all his muscles seize up, as a hot pain coursed through his body. He couldn't even shout, his body just collapsing as it convulsed with the overwhelming electricity surging through him.

"RedOwl standard issue stun gun." He explained. "Targets the human nervous system, locks up your body. Your aura's the only reason you're still conscious, kid." He unfastened FyreBeat from Crimson, and tossed it aside. "Now let's see about that meeting."

Crimson tried to crawl away from Zachariah, but his arms refused to respond. Zachariah grabbed the collar of Crimson's jacket, dragging him out to the truck. Crimson's eyes widened, as his sunglasses fell off, landing on the pavement. Zachariah didn't even notice, simply tossing Crimson in the back and locking it shut. The truck started up and took off, leaving Crimson's motorcycle, scroll, sunglasses, and weapon behind. What Zachariah had failed to notice however, was the distress signal on Crimson's visor, currently being sent to the rest of his team.

* * *

_**Playing with fire  
Leads to getting burned  
Feuling my ire  
With the the vengeance I yearn  
**_

_**I'm done with all the playing  
Things are getting hot  
Let my passion start betraying  
All the baggage I've brought**_

_**Burn in hell  
Take a message when you die  
Time to tell  
The devil I said hi**_

_**Your tricky little plan  
Is gonna blow up in your face  
I'll do everything I can  
To wipe you out without a trace**_

_**My patience has run out  
The fuse is set to blow  
And now without a doubt  
I'm gonna make you go**_

_**Burn in hell  
Take a message when you die  
Time to tell  
The devil I said hi**_


	15. Volume 1: Chapter 11

Reed jolted awake to Melanie kicking his bed. She tossed his glasses over, and he fumbled to put them on.

"It's the weekend, and the middle of the night." He commented.

She tossed his scroll over. "Suck it up, your brother's in trouble."

Reed looked at the panic alert on his scroll, then noticed their weapons set out on Melanie's bed. He saw that she was already dressed.

"Nina?" He asked.

She gestured to the bathroom. "Getting dressed. She's a lighter sleeper than you."

He looked out the window. "Go on ahead. If he needs help, he needs it now."

Reed changed to his combat gear as Melanie leaped out the window. Nina soon came out, holstering her pistols. Soon enough, they all arrived at the workshop, seeing the carnage. The area was blocked off by police tape, officers were investigating witnesses, and CSIs were examining the evidence...including Crimson's gear.

"Nina, can you hear them?" Melanie asked.

She nodded. "They're saying he was kidnapped...wait, they just found the panic signal on his scroll."

"We need the footage from his visor." Reed muttered.

"On it." Melanie said, approaching the scene.

"Contact his family. See if you can get in touch with the school too. Find out who this signal is going to." The lead detective ordered.

Melanie cleared her throat, holding up her scroll to show the panic alert still active. "His teammates. Who else would he ask for help?"

The detective approached. "Sorry kid, but you're a bit too late. Your teammate's been kidnapped by unknown assailants."

"Then why don't you let us help find him. We're his team, if he left clues we'd be able to pick up on them." She said.

He raised an eyebrow. "You may be going to a Huntsman Academy, but you're still students and civilians. Just stay out of the way."

She scowled. "Fine. But he better be back in one piece." She turned away, hands stuffed in her pockets, and returned to the group. "Come on, let's go." As soon as they turned the corner, she pulled the scroll from her pocket. "Do your thing."

Reed took it, moving through the files. "So how much of what you said to the detective was BS?"

"As much as I needed to keep him distracted." She replied. "Found what you needed?"

"I think so...I've got the specs on the truck, and the captor." He showed them an image of the man; messy grey hair, brown eyes, and a rough complexion. "Zachariah Alabaster. Apparently part of RedOwl's private security...RedOwl...I think I know why Crimson was kidnapped."

* * *

Crimson came to in a darkened room, cuffed to a chair. He looked around, gathering his bearings. The place looked like an interrogation room of sorts, featuring a metal table, and a single locked door. The only thing it lacked was a one-way window. Soon after he woke up, Zachariah came in through the door, followed by someone else Crimson couldn't quite make out. Any time he tried to look directly at the man, he'd lose focus, and his gaze would shift back to Zachariah. This effect dropped when the man sat down across from Crimson, but the shadows obscured him too much for Crimson to see him clearly.

"Finally awake." The man stated, his voice smooth and charismatic.

Crimson scowled. "Who are you?"

The man grinned. "Why tell you that?"

"Because when I get out and kick your ass, I want to know who I'll be calling the cops on." Crimson replied.

"Please, I just wanted to have a peaceful chat." The man insisted. "You're the only one being violent about this."

"You kidnapped me and cuffed me to a chair." Crimson said. "Oh, let's not forget the fact that your people keep stealing prototypes from workshops around the city."

He shrugged. "I go with the most practical solutions available. As an engineer, you can respect that."

"Yeah, well as a Huntsmen, robbing and killing are about as deplorable as it gets." Crimson countered.

The man chuckled. "Ah, that fire! Johnathan never had that, he was always timid and awkward. That came from Carmen...well, before she lost her mind at least.

Crimson felt his heart skip a beat. "You knew them?"

"You could say that." The man stated. "Johnathan and I used to be partners, pals even. Carmen too."

"You're lying." Crimson said.

The man chuckled. "That's a fair reaction. I do lie about a lot of things. But this is not one of them."

Crimson sat back, staring at the shadowed figure before him. "What do you want with me?"

"Your services, of course." The man stated.

Crimson chuckled. "What, as a first year Huntsman trainee?"

The man shook his head. "Oh no, my security's capable enough. No, I need your engineering skills." The man set a scroll down, and showed holograms of Crimson's gear. "I was so disappointed when Zachariah left all your toys behind, because they are technological marvels. I mean, sure they'd be slightly above average in Atlas, but that's just a lack of resources. I can give you the resources to build whatever you want."

"Firstly, some of those pieces were collaborative." Crimson countered. "Second, I can tell you right where to put that offer."

"Well, I was gonna let you do it willingly, get paid, and be able to go about your daily life." The man said. "I suppose instead I can lock you up, force you to do it, and kill your family and friends if you don't."

Crimson grinned. "Trust me, they can take care of themselves."

* * *

"So let me get this straight." Melanie stated. "Crimson was kidnapped for some kind of sick business move?"

Reed nodded. "When his father died, he willed 60% of his shares to Crimson's mother. But if she's declared unfit to hold those shares, she's likely arranged for them to transfer to him. But if something happens to him, those shares enter the market. If someone's already prepared to buy up most of them, they gain control of RedOwl."

Nina blinked. "I'm confused...what are shares?" Melanie and Nina both turned to her. "...what?"

Melanie sighed. "Crimson's dad started a company and built it up into a large corporation. When he died, Crimson's mom became the owner, but she's in hospital, and her ownership is considered tentative. If something were to happen to both of them, anyone could buy ownership of the company."

"If something happened..." Her eyes, ears, and tail shot up. "You don't mean someone would kill him just to get control of the company!"

Melanie frowned. "No, they would have killed him at the workshop if that were the case...it could be the shares, but there's more to it than just that."

Reed cupped his chin. "That doesn't help us find where he is."

"I can handle that." Melanie said, beginning to walk off.

Reed stepped in front of her. "We shouldn't split up. We have a better chance of finding him together."

She scowled. "Fine, but this part is being done my way. You may know tech, but I know the streets. You don't have to like what I do, just stay back and keep quiet."

"Lead the way." Reed stated.

Melanie did just that, gesturing for the team to follow as she navigated through backstreets and alleyways. "Lesson one in gathering information. Rats hear everything, you just have to make them squeal."

As they turned the corner, they saw a group of thugs mid-conversation. Melanie walked up to the nearest one and tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned to her with a scowl. "Buzz off, kid."

"Sure, just answer a question for me." She replied.

He pulled out a butterfly knife, opening it with a flashy gesture and holding the blade just below her chin. "I said buzz off."

In a quick motion, Melanie spun, pulling the blade from the man's grip and slamming him against the wall. She then grabbed his hair, pulling his head back and holding the knife to his throat. The other thugs quickly drew shabby, outdated dust pistols.

"Take care of the accessories." Melanie said. "We're gonna have a little private chat."

Reed drew his katana, and stepped between Melanie and the thugs. As he fought them off, Melanie dragged the man back deeper into the alley.

"Cargo truck. Busted window, most likely carrying a person. Where did it go?" Melanie asked.

The man grunted. "What's it to you?"

"Not your business." She stated. "The truck, now."

He groaned for a moment. "Dunno. Saw it heading to the industrial sector, but only for a second. Wasn't really paying attention."

She scowled, but dropped the man. "Thanks." She hurled the knife, embedding it in the ground at the far end of the alley. "This conversation never happened, unless you and your buddies want people knowing you got beat by some girl." With that, she went back to Reed and Nina. "Come on, I narrowed down the search."

She saw Nina's expression. The girl was shocked and scared, even confused a little. Melanie ignored it. Saving Crimson was more important right now.

* * *

The man sighed. "Now the stubbornness, that is your dad. Carmen was at least reasonable, but Johnathan...timid as he was, he made up his own mind about things."

"The more you talk about my parents, the more I want to kick your ass." Crimson warned.

"Right, right. Touchy subject, I apologize." The man said. "The point is, I'd rather this be an opportunity for you than a threat."

Crimson narrowed his eyes. "Really? Because you've given me no reason to trust you, and every reason to be skeptical."

"Good point." The man admitted. "A gesture of trust then...how about...the name of the man that killed your father?"

Crimson's eyes widened, and all the fight in him drained out. "You...know who did it?"

The man nodded. "And I will give it to you if you agree to just take a look at one little project and tell me what I'm missing."

"One...project?" Crimson frowned, trying to weigh things in his mind. "What project?"

The man smiled. "Oh, I'm so glad you asked."

He tapped his scroll, changing the holograms. He showed schematics of a tower designed for delivery of airborne substances.

"We've run into two problems." The man stated. "Spreading any given substance over a wide enough area, and keeping it dense enough to have an effect."

Crimson leaned forward. "What is this for?"

The man shrugged. "There's a variety of applications. Border defense, it could spread dust potently enough to dissuade Grimm. It could spread smoke screens to conceal government or military facilities. Imagine what it could do for Atlas, and their floating constructs. A sustained oxygen field high enough in the atmosphere to avoid the Grimm indefinitely."

"Don't BS me." Crimson stated. "You want it made for a reason, or you wouldn't be going to the lengths you are."

The man raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, you got me. There is...a plague...threatening Humanity. For generations we've struggled with it, and over time it's only spread...grown stronger...evolved in the most sickening of ways. If we let it go unchecked, it will eradicate us faster than the Grimm ever could. Imagine this device placed strategically in each kingdom, spreading a cure. For a time it would persist outside the kingdoms, but either through the advancements of humanity, or lack of protection from the Grimm, the infection would die out. Humanity would be safe, and free to focus on establishing peace."

"You're trying to save humanity?" Crimson questioned. "Why resort to fear and intimidation?"

"Because that's how dire our circumstances are." The man said. "I'm doing what I have to."

Crimson eyed the device. "And if I tell you how to fix this...you'll tell me who killed my father?"

"Do we have a deal?" The man asked.

* * *

"Why would he be in the main building?" Reed asked.

Melanie gave him a look. "If they were taking him to a warehouse, he would be down by the docks. This is the most guarded facility they have, and thanks to the transport routes, it's the easiest to get in and out of unnoticed. Cargo trucks, especially damaged ones, don't look out of place here."

"Why wouldn't they?" Reed questioned.

"The White Fang." Melanie replied. "They mainly target the Schnee Dust Corporation, but RedOwl has also been frequently targeted by them."

Nina watched the guards patrolling outside, looking very nervous. "I recognize that armor."

Melanie's attention turned to her. "The security?" Nina nodded. "From where?"

Nina shrank back. "Somewhere bad."

Reed put a hand on her shoulder. "Nina...we're going to need to know more than that. Whatever you know could help Crimson."

"The guns use electric dust...they target your nerves to make you seize up. It feels like your body's on fire." She muttered.

Reed nodded. "That's what happened to Crimson in the footage."

"The helmets let them talk to each other...and see what someone else is seeing." She continued.

"Like Atlas helmets." Melanie observed.

Nina looked over at the security again. "But it means they can only see straight ahead, and get distracted easily."

"Their armor." Reed stated. "What is it designed for?"

"It protects against dust." She said. "Physical attacks work better against it."

"Nina, look at me." Melanie said.

Nina looked up, ears flattened. "That's all I know about them."

Melanie looked Nina in the eye. "You know we'll have to talk about this later...but for now, thank you."

She nodded. "Oh, um...they also patrol in groups of five...I think.

"Alright...now where in the building would they be keeping Crimson?" Reed wondered.

Nina cleared her throat. "Uh...if I were to guess...there might be holding cells in the bottom floor...underground, I mean."

"That's...specific." Reed stated. "Nina, if you're not comfortable going in with us-"

"I won't leave him in there." Nina's ears and tail shot up as she said it. "I won't leave a friend to...to..." She gulped, but her expression remained firm.

Melanie sighed. "Well, I guess you're decided then."

Reed eyed the building. "There's no chance of sneaking in the front, and trying to enter above ground level would take too long."

"Then we go in through the loading bay." Melanie stated. "Same place Crimson came in through, we could probably take a cargo lift down to him."

"That could work." Reed said. "But we're still in for a fight."

"Bring it." Nina replied.

* * *

Crimson kept processing his options. "I...need a minute to think about this."

"Of course." The man stated. "Zach, take his cuffs off will you?"

The man did so, and the two walked out, leaving Crimson alone in the room. He stood from his chair, and began pacing as he thought things through. Meanwhile, Zachariah spoke to the man as they walked down the hall.

"You're sure about this, Carl?" Zachariah asked.

The man, Carl, chuckled. "That kid has a vendetta, he won't stop until his father's killer is dead. He finishes the tower for me, he becomes my fall guy, and he either kills our biggest threat or dies trying. No matter how this plays out, I win."

"And what if he doesn't take your offer?" Zachariah asked.

"He will." Carl said. "If left alone to ponder it, he'll come to the decision that even if I'm planning something bad, he'll be able to stop it in time. He'll fool himself into thinking it's a win-win scenario, and decide to go with the option where I just let him leave with the scrap of information he wants more than anything in the world."

"And what about his team?" Zachariah asked.

Carl let out a more hearty laughter at that. "His team? Please, you have a vengeful leader, a veritable sociopath, a girl that keeps way too many secrets for her own good, and a worst case scenario PTSD case study. We time things right, and we turn them on each other right as everything falls apart. Speaking of, how far are we on moving our operations to Atlas?"

"We're ready." Zachariah stated. "To the world, it'll look like fortune saved us from catastrophe. We've arranged for select losses to be taken, but nothing critical."

Carl smiled wide. "Good. Riko and Yoko?"

"Riko is on her way here. Yoko is still in Atlas, recording the crazy woman's ramblings." The man stated.

"Keep her there." Carl ordered. "Those ramblings have proven more useful than anybody gives them credit for."

Suddenly, the lights turned red, and the alarm went off. The two looked to each other.

"Keep them busy." Carl stated. "Don't stop them, just slow them. Crimson just needs a little more time to think things through."

* * *

The plan had not gone as expected. The loading bay had more security than the entrance did, and now the team was caught in a full on firefight. Their semblances gave them an edge, with Reed able to reflect the electricity back at the guards, Melanie able to catch the current with her water, and Nina able to freeze the opponents before they could take the group down. They fought their way in to the cargo lift, but alarms were already blaring by then. To make matters worse, security was sliding down onto the lift, attempting to overwhelm the team. They were managing to fight the guards off, but not easily. At the bottom of the lift, Zachariah was waiting for them.

"Now what's a group of unlicensed students doing breaking and entering on private property?" He asked.

Melanie immediately rushed to attack, slashing repeatedly with Violet Cross, but Zachariah dodged and sidestepped in perfect rhythm. Nina drew her pistols, firing off at the man, but he simply grabbed Melanie by the arm, spinning to throw her into Nina. As Nina caught Melanie, Reed rushed in with a lightning fast jab, but Zachariah still dodged, pistol whipping Reed in the back of the head. Reed fell over, and Zachariah began firing at Nina, who made an ice wall for cover. Instead of rising to his feet, Reed swept his legs around to trip Zachariah. He rolled with the impact, coming back to his feet just as Reed did. He shot at Reed, but Reed sent the electricity straight back at Zachariah, who was forced to retreat behind the corner. Zachariah kept firing around the corner, as he reached for his earpiece to contact Carl.

"Enough time?" He asked.

"Plenty." Carl replied. "You may take your leave."

The team rounded the corner to find Zachariah gone. They each looked around in dismay.

"He was just here." Reed muttered.

Melanie frowned. "He could have a speed or invisibility semblance."

"Isn't Crimson the priority here?" Nina asked.

Reed nodded. "Nina's right. Come on."

They kept searching through cells, finding them all empty, save for one. Crimson stood, speaking to a man hidden in the shadows.

"And here they are." The man stated. "Right on schedule."

Nina froze. "No...no, no, no..."

The man regarded her. "Ah, we meet again. What is it you go by now, Nina?"

"Stay away from me." She whispered, the air around her growing colder.

Reed put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Nina. You're not alone here."

Melanie scowled. "How do you two know each other?"

"That?" The man chuckled. "That's a rather long story. I suppose you could say I'm the closest thing she has to a father."

"No." She shook her head. "No, I don't want to be here."

"Then let's go." Crimson said. "Come on, he said he'd let us walk out."

"BS." Melanie growled.

The man spread his arms out. "Not at all. Despite you barging into my building and attacking my security, Crimson and I have had a rather pleasant chat. Oh, speaking of...my offer stands, Crimson. Anytime."

"I'll keep it in mind." Crimson stated. "Come on, let's go."

The team walked out, not saying a word until they'd left the building. When they did, Crimson looked around, leading them into an alley, before finally addressing them.

"How'd you find me?" He asked.

Melanie shrugged. "Team effort."

He gave a slight smile. "Well, thank you. Look, let's just leave this alone for now. We don't have our licenses yet, and we can't prove anything without incriminating ourselves."

Reed nodded. "If you say so."

"The police have your gear." Melanie informed.

Crimson paused. "I'll...go to them and say I woke up in an alley. Tell them some failed ransom story. You guys get back to the dorms, alright?"

"You don't have to tell me twice." Melanie stated.

"Good." Crimson walked off, his mind returning to the conversation as he did. "If he really knows...maybe it is worth it...maybe..."


	16. Volume 1: Chapter 12

Reed sat in Dr. Oobleck's class, listening attentively to his history lecture. At least, that was until something caught his eye. A shadow passed by a window, briefly drawing his attention. He assumed it was a bird, and returned focus to Dr. Oobleck's lesson.

"Now, during this war, what distinct advantage made the Faunus archers such a deadly and overwhelming force? Does anyone have the answer?" Oobleck asked.

Reed raised his hand. Oobleck immediately zoomed over.

"Ah yes, Mr. Shaden! You of course would know all about this particular advantage. Please enlighten the class!" He announced.

"Wings." Reed stated. "The ability to fly gives any ranged combatant greater mobility, and allows them to outmaneuver any cover an opponent may have."

"Precisely!" Oobleck affirmed. "Flight gives a tactical edge so powerful that Atlas has since dedicated a major portion of their technology to gaining mastery over the sky!"

The bell rang, and a large portion of the class gave a collective sigh of relief. Oobleck announced the homework as quickly as he could before the class filed out. Once again, Reed's gaze was drawn to the window, but this time he saw more than just a shadow. There was a person, perched on a tree, just outside. He blinked, and the figure was gone.

Crimson put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, everything alright?"

"I saw someone." Reed said. "Sitting in the tree."

"Uh, I don't see anyone there." Crimson stated. "Come on, you're just tired."

He sighed. "Alright."

Later that day, as they all worked on their homework in the dorm, Reed took a seat next to Crimson. The boy didn't notice at first, focused on a rather lengthy essay.

"What's a synonym for grand?" He muttered.

"Extravagant." Reed replied.

Crimson looked up, seeing him. "Oh. Thanks." He quickly finished up the sentence, before moving the paper aside and turning to Reed. "Something on your mind?"

Reed rubbed his forehead. "I...haven't been sleeping well."

Crimson removed his sunglasses, showing his concerned eyes. "Nightmares?"

Reed nodded. "About...her..."

"How long?" Crimson asked.

"A week at most." Reed stated. "And...there's something else...remember I said I saw a person?" Crimson nodded. "It wasn't the first time...and the dreams started shortly after."

Crimson ran a hand through his hair. "You doing any extra credit? Projects? Anything on top of your normal workload?"

"Individual sparring." Reed admitted. "I spend my free period...venting."

Crimson nodded. "My best guess is that you're overworking yourself. I did it a lot too, remember when I first moved in? Steph saw and helped me through it."

Reed shook his head. "Crimson, that figure isn't just my imagination."

"Then we'll figure it out together." Crimson said. "But you need to relax first.

Reed sighed. "Alright...I'll try to take it easy."

"Good." Crimson stated. "If you keep seeing this figure, let me know."

Reed went to bed early that night, and though his dreams were still plagued with painful memories, his sleep was uninterrupted. That morning, he woke up like normal, going about his day. He showered, dressed, had breakfast, and headed to the lockers, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. That was, until Reed opened his locker to retrieve Schultz. Laying in his locker was a photo of Crimson, with the word "replacement" written over it.


	17. Volume 1: Chapter 13

Reed went about the rest of the week as if everything was fine. But on Friday night, he very calmly spoke as he walked next to Melanie.

"I need your help." He stated.

She made no eye contact, continuing to walk. "With what?"

"Someone's following me...watching me." He explained. "And whoever it is left me a very...disconcerting message."

"What message?" She questioned.

He handed her the photo. "I found this in my locker the day after I told Crimson."

She saw it. "I take it this means something personal?"

Reed nodded. "Very personal...and it makes me worried about who's following me."

"Lucky for you, I can confirm that it's not your imagination." Melanie said. "Someone has been following you...someone fast."

"Can you help me catch them?" Reed questioned.

Melanie grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

The two kept discussing, looking as if they were casually conversing as they walked, before finally heading to bed. The next day, Reed awoke with the plan still firmly in his mind. He got dressed, and headed out, flying down to the city. He began walking through back-alleys as Melanie had instructed. That was, until he heard Violet Cross igniting. He instantly turned, drawing Schultz and heading in the direction of the sound. Up on the rooftops, he saw Melanie in a sword fight with a winged girl wearing a White Fang mask. The girl, maybe a year younger than him and Melanie, was dressed in black, and wielded two blades, a katana in one hand and wakizashi in the other. As soon as Reed entered the fray, her head snapped over to him.

"If you wanted to talk, you should have just asked." She spat.

He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you following me?"

She glanced at Melanie for a moment. "Let's take this somewhere more private."

She dashed forward, slashing at Reed. He blocked each successive strike, but was pushed back with each one. All of a sudden, she pivoted around Reed, pulling him in a headlock. There was a feeling of gut-wrenching cold, and he was surrounded in darkness. Then, he was thrown out onto grass, gasping for air. The girl sat next to him.

"Takes a while to get used to." She said. "The first time I did it, my lungs were still filled with ash and smoke. I nearly suffocated, and not a single person stopped to help me."

Reed finally caught his breath, looking up at her. "Who...are you?"

"Wow, I know it's been a while, but you can't even guess? Do you really have no clue? Come on, you can't be that stupid, all the clues are right in front of you." She said.

He slid back a bit, looking her up and down. "Take off your mask."

She shrugged, doing so. "Not sure you'd recognize my face after all this time, but I'll humor you."

As soon as the mask came off, Reed did recognize her face. "Lizzie...but...how is that...I...I saw you, I watched..."

"Oh please." She scolded. "You didn't find it suspicious that a body was never found?"

Reed's face was...complete shock...not knowing how to respond. "Lizzie, I..."

"Save it." She said. "You already replaced me...we're done here."

Reed got to his feet. "Lizzie, please-"

But she was gone...melted into the shadows where she'd sat...and Reed was alone.


	18. Volume 1: Chapter 14

Reed sat in the dorms, expression blank, aside from his wide eyes. He'd told the others about Lizzie, but hadn't said anything since. Crimson and Melanie had decided to give him space, but Nina was still sitting across from him, looking worried.

"So...she's your sister...but...what happened to her?" Nina finally asked.

Reed leaned back. "About...ten years ago...there was a riot in Mantle, where my family lived. Some people were blaming Faunus for...I don't even know...poor living conditions, the frequent Grimm attacks, anything they could. They busted open shops, got their hands on dust crystals, and started attacking Faunus homes. All the negativity brought Grimm, and my parents had to leave to fight them off. When the riots reached our building, we were alone. The fires trapped my sister in her room. I tried to fly out to her fire escape, but...when I opened the window, the flames rushed right out into my face. I...didn't know how fire worked, what the airflow would do, but..." He adjusted his glasses. "I lost my sister...my eyes were permanently damaged...and since then, I've...kept my emotions hidden. It was panic and hysteria that made me try to open that window, instead of finding frost dust or getting help. If I can be calm and rational, then that won't happen again."

"But...if you refuse to feel...then what's the point?" Nina asked. "The only reason you cared about saving her was because you love her."

Reed paused. "It's also the reason losing her hurt so much."

"Of course it did!" Nina insisted. "You think losing my eye didn't hurt?"

"That's part of you." Reed countered.

Nina put her hands on Reed's shoulders, making him look her in the eye. "So are the people you love."

He looked down. "So what do I do? She was gone, and now she's back, and..."

Nina sat back down. "You know, this eye isn't the same...never will be...but it's better than not having one. Having it back was...unbelievable for me. Not just having depth perception again, it was like...like the things that happened to me really could just go away. I'll always have reminders of it, but it doesn't have to hold me back."

"So...you're saying she's not the same Lizzie...but she's still my sister..." Reed inferred.

"Did I say that?" Nina asked, a little cheekily. "I'm saying, if you shut off your emotions, you won't be able to reconnect with her. She needs to know that you still love her."

He took a deep breath. "I'm not sure if I can do that, Nina."

"Try...I know it's still there inside you. You may hide your expressions, but I've still seen you express emotion." Nina said. "When we first met...you offered me that blanket. That was empathy, Reed. Right now you're scared and confused...you should stop hiding it...maybe once you let yourself feel it, you can control it."

He looked at her again, and his eyes began to water. "Nina...thank you."

She pulled him into a hug, as his tears began to flow. She held him tightly as he cried into her shoulder, letting it all out. When they released each other, Reed's eyes were still red with tears...but he was smiling.


	19. Volume 1: Chapter 15

Reed walked out into the forest alone. He waited for a while, until he was sure nobody from Beacon had followed him.

"You said if I wanted to talk I should ask." He stated. "Let's talk."

Lizzie appeared before him, literally stepping out of the shadows and removing her mask. "I'm listening."

"What happened?" He asked. "How did you get out?"

She crossed her arms. "My semblance awakened. I fell into my own shadow, and suddenly I was coughing and wheezing in the middle of the street...on the other side of the city. I tried to ask for help, but the Humans ignored me, and...the Faunus all thought I was just another orphan. Regardless, when I asked where my mom and dad were, everyone just turned away."

"So how did the White Fang find you?" Reed asked.

She shrugged. "By chance...scared and alone...starving...huddled up behind a garbage bin, desperate to keep warm. They took me in...gave me food...taught me how to fight...how to survive."

"Lizzie...I'm sorry. We should have looked for you." Reed looked down. "All these years, I've been blaming myself...but you were never really gone."

"That didn't stop you from replacing me." She said. "You have a new brother now, why would you even need me?"

"Lizzie, he's our friend! You already knew him!" Reed protested.

She scowled. "Really? Because what I remember was that you always preferred spending time with him. You used your friend as an excuse to get out of being my brother."

Reed sighed. "Lizzie...we were kids...nobody was replacing you, and right now, I still love you. Please, just...come back."

She shook her head. "I can't do that Reed..." She glanced around for a moment. "Get out of Vale...mom and dad too if you can...before it's too late."

"What do you mean too late?" Reed asked.

But she was already gone, and once again, Reed was alone.


	20. Volume 1: Chapter 16

Team CRMN were headed back to their dorm after class, ready to finish their homework and wind down. However, they opened the door to find Lizzie lying on the ground, looking bruised and battered. Reed and Nina immediately rushed over to help her up.

"Nina..." She muttered.

Reed looked to Nina. "You know her?"

Nina's eyes widened. "Wait, this is your-" A hand came up to her head. "I'm an idiot! Of course it's the same Lizzie! She...gave me a place to stay for a little while."

Lizzie coughed. "Nina...he...knows where we are. Attacked the camp...Kane said...to warn you."

Melanie turned to Nina. "You're with the Fang?!"

"No, no!" Nina shook her head. "It's...complicated, but I'm not with the White Fang. I just know some of them...one of them...helped me." She looked back at Lizzie. "Where's Kane, what happened to him?"

"He ordered a retreat." Lizzie stated. "Said to group up with Adam's forces."

Reed looked Lizzie in the eye. "Who attacked you?"

"You already know." Lizzie coughed again, passing out.

"Reed, get her to the house. I'll go find Richard." Crimson ordered, stepping out in a hurry.

Reed gently lifted Lizzie, opening the window and leaping out. Suddenly, Melanie and Nina were alone.

"Alright, I let you have your secrets when they were just yours, but now we're involved." Melanie said. "Talk."

Nina blinked. "I...it's...I'm not..."

"Fine, I'll ask questions, and you answer." Melanie said. "Who's Kane?"

"Just a friend, I swear!" Nina insisted. "He taught me to fight, and helped me get into Beacon."

"Helped you get in?" Melanie crossed her arms. "So you could feed information to the Fang?"

Nina shook her head. "No. I haven't spoken with anyone since I got in until just now. I'm not a member of the White Fang, and I would never spy on my team."

"Alright then. One last Question." She stepped closer, staring Nina down. "Who attacked them?"

* * *

Reed rushed inside, laying Lizzie on the couch. "Mom, are you here?!"

Stephanie stepped into the room, confused. "Reed? Isn't it a school day?" She then saw Lizzie and her eyes widened. "Who is this? What's going on?"

"She's hurt, I don't know how badly." Reed explained. "I'll tell you everything, but we need to make sure she's okay."

"Alright...it seems like her aura took most of the damage." Stephanie observed. "I think rest should be enough to heal what's left."

Reed breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods."

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "You're...unusually expressive."

"What?" Reed looked to her.

"Just that...since...Lizzie...you've been so closed off." Stephanie explained.

Reed looked down. "I know...I thought...that if I could hide my emotions, I wouldn't have to hurt...and maybe I could keep it from happening again. But...Nina told me that it's okay to hurt...because it means that she was important...is important."

"Is?" Stephanie looked at Reed, then at the girl on the couch. "You don't mean..."

Reed nodded. "It's her, mom. She's alive."

Stephanie covered her mouth, eyes beginning to water. Reed pulled her into a hug. She cried into her son's shoulder, looking at the daughter she'd thought dead for so long.

Crimson and Richard soon arrived. Richard rushed over to check on Lizzie.

Reed looked over at his father. "Dad...it's-

"Lizzie." Richard finished. "Crimson told me...do we know who the attacker was?"

"The same person that kidnapped Crimson before." Melanie spoke from the doorway. "Zachariah Alabaster, most likely operating on orders from Crimson's mystery friend."

Crimson looked over. "We're not friends. I haven't forgotten how we met, or what he was willing to do."

"So you admit, we should be treating him like a serious threat?" Melanie asked.

"No." Crimson stated. "Let's think about things objectively. All we know about him is that he had me kidnapped to ask for my help, and that he's attacking White Fang camps."

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "So he's a kidnapper and a murderer."

"It's the White Fang!" Crimson protested. "They're terrorists! They murder people left and right, you can't accuse people for fighting back against them!"

Melanie scowled. "So now you're defending your kidnapper?"

"Both of you conceited idiots just shut up!" Lizzie shouted, clutching her head as she sat up. "Listen here, hothead. It may be easy for you to judge the White Fang when all you've seen of them is the yellow journalism funded by the oppressive corporations, but why don't I tell you my side. I was alone, starving, homeless, forgotten by my family, and the only people who helped me were the White Fang. They fed me, taught me to fight, and gave me a purpose. So pull that stick out of your rear-end and realize that we're people like you, who are tired of the constant hatred and abuse."

Reed stepped between them. "Everyone, please calm down. Perspectives, right and wrong, true or false, we can't determine any of that while arguing over each other. Here are the facts. Lizzie, you're my sister. White Fang or not, I care about you. Crimson, you're my team leader...I have to trust you. There is no picking a side for me. Let's sit down and figure this out, for everyone's sake...please."

Plenty of glares and nervous looks were thrown around, but soon everyone sat down. Except for Melanie. She walked out, slamming the door behind her.

"So what now?" Lizzie asked.

Reed looked to her. "We talk...we explain what happened...and we move forward."


	21. Volume 1: Chapter 17

Melanie had made it back to the dorms, ready to finally go to sleep. Her hopes were cut short by Crimson soon stepping in.

"Weren't you having a pow-wow with your friends?" She asked.

"We finished." Crimson stated. "Why did you leave?"

Melanie sighed. "I'm not your friend. I want nothing to do with your personal life. When I graduate, I'm going solo, and you'll never see or hear from me again."

"Really? Because that wasn't my first impression." Crimson replied.

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "What was, pray tell?"

"When we met in the forest, you may have been quiet and irritable, but at least you were a team player." Crimson explained. "You wanted to be there, you listened to us, you didn't shrug us off and ignore us at every opportunity."

"Yeah, well then I found out who you are." Melanie said. "Believe me, it's better for the both of us that we get through these four years, then forget each other."

Crimson raised an eyebrow. "What does who I am have to do with anything?"

She rolled her eyes. "Crimson Dram, heir to the RedOwl tech corporation. Not only is your inheritance a multi-million lien company, but you likely have ten times that in a vault somewhere just waiting for you to turn eighteen. The only teammate worse than you would be a Schnee."

"So what, you're jealous of my inheritance?" Crimson ran a hand through his hair. "Melanie, my mom is in hospital, the company's probably corrupt beyond all imagining, and my father is dead! I've spent most of my life with a middle-class Faunus family, and both families raised me to be selfless and considerate. I'm not some privileged aristocrat. Every lien I've ever used was earned by actually working. I had a part time job at a local workshop. The only reason my weapon isn't built from dumpster diving is because Signal offers a weapon-building workshop."

"Oh, well good for you." Melanie stated. "I grew up on the street. My mom died in childbirth, and my dad's an alcoholic. I've been homeless my whole life, and had to learn how to survive the hard way. My weapon _was_ a dumpster dive project, and it exploded the first eight times. I've had to save my dad's ass from old enemies he had before I was even born. And then I find out about his past, that he used to be a Huntsman, that he was somehow _friends_ with your dad! So now I have to go around, dealing with the fact that if my dad weren't wallowing in self-pity, maybe we could have been friends. Now I have to wonder if your dad knew my mom. Not just that, but Reed's parents, who seem to have been close to yours. What do they know? And maybe I'd consider asking them, if I weren't scared of what I'd find out! Because at the end of the day, all I know is that my dad is too drunk to feed himself most of the time, and since I've come here, I've had the lingering thought in the back of my head that his body will be found washed up in some sewer or drained of blood in some alley."

Crimson blinked. "Melanie...you could have asked us for help any time."

"YOU DON'T DESERVE MY BAGGAGE!" She screamed. "You, Reed, and Nina are decent people! You're not perfect, but you're good. What right do I have to weigh you down with my problems?"

Crimson shook his head. "What right do I have as your leader to ignore them?"

"No!" She snapped. "No, I don't want you to be...tainted..." Her eyes began to water. "I...I like you just fine as you are...I want to be your friend, but I don't want my life corrupting yours."

"Melanie..." Crimson sighed. "...get some rest..."

The next day, Crimson went on as if nothing had happened. Melanie kept watching him nervously, keeping up her bland uncaring appearance in hopes nobody knew about their conversation. When sparring class came around, Melanie sat back, hoping to take the opportunity to calm herself.

"Ms. Lemay, you haven't come up in some time." Professor Goodwitch stated. "Why don't you start us off today?"

Melanie sighed, standing and sauntering up to the stage. "Sure."

"Do we have any volunteers for an opponent?" Glynda asked. "Ah, Mr. Dram."

Melanie's heart skipped a beat, and she looked over at Crimson. He stepped up onto the stage with her, extending his arm-blades.

"What is this?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Proving a point."

She pulled Violet Cross from her pocket, hiding her uncertainty. Crimson rushed at her, but she pivoted around, keeping a leg out to trip him. He leaped into a corkscrew, easily dodging the trip and slashing at her. She ignited Violet Cross, blocking the slash, and slashing at him with a dagger hidden in the sleeve of her free hand. He narrowly dodged, jabbing at her with his left blade. She ducked under the strike, batting it aside with her knife hand, and slashing upwards at Crimson. He stepped back to dodge, and she pressed the advantage, slashing repeatedly with both weapons to gradually push him back until he was at the edge of the stage. Just as he seemed to be falling off, he backflipped into the open space, and used a blast of gravity dust to propel him back towards Melanie, legs outstretched in a kick. He knocked her back, bringing her aura down to the red."

"Crimson wins." Glynda concluded. "Though being pushed out of the arena is typically a disqualification, Crimson's mid-air recovery saved him. More so, he transformed the maneuver into a powerful attack. However, Melanie's tactics were not without merit. If you turn your attention to the display, you'll notice Crimson's own aura is in the low yellow, not far from red. Her dust blade depleted his aura more quickly than most physical attacks would. One more attack, and she could have easily been the victor."

Crimson offered Melanie a hand up. She took it reluctantly.

"So what point were you trying to prove." She asked.

He smiled. "We're on the same level, Melanie. If you think I'm not ready to deal with your problems, you shouldn't be handling them alone anyway. Let us in. We're not a burden, we're your teammates. You can trust us."

She sighed. "Fine...if it'll get you to stop bugging me."

He chuckled. "That's the spirit...partner."

"If you give me a nickname, I will punch you in the gut." She threatened.

He shrugged. "I can wait till you're comfortable with one."


	22. Volume 1: Chapter 18

Melanie was sparring with Reed, both focusing on their swordplay. Reed's form and reaction time was near perfect. Every block and attack was fast and powerful, but there were always definite pauses. Those moments were when Melanie would attempt to press her advantage. Her unorthodox attacks would throw Reed off, but didn't have the force needed to do more than a little damage to his aura. The two were essentially locked in a stalemate, neither able to overpower the other.

"This isn't working." Melanie grumbled.

Reed raised an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"

"We're stuck." She explained. "This isn't getting us anywhere. We're too even."

"Isn't that the point of training? So we can get better?" He questioned.

Melanie deactivated Violet Cross. "Except we're not. Every time it's our turn to spar, we hit a stalemate." She walked off with an exasperated sigh. "I'm going to go study."

He gave a confused look, sheathing Schultz. Melanie continued back to the dorms, shrugging off any greetings from other students as usual. She entered her dorm and plopped down onto her bed, opening a textbook. She slammed it shut barely a few seconds after.

"Need a study partner?" Reed asked.

She glanced at him. "No offense, somehow I feel like you'd make the book less interesting than it already is."

He chuckled a little. "Then don't look at the book."

"Study without studying? Such great wisdom, sensei." Melanie deadpanned.

Reed shrugged. "Find a way to study that does interest you. The textbooks are just one option."

She raised an eyebrow. "Any suggestions?"

"Well, think about what you're good at, what you enjoy." He paused. "Don't shake anyone down for answers."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not a bully."

"A lot of people think otherwise." Reed stated.

Melanie sat up. "What, because I'm not as chummy as RWBY or JNPR?"

Reed sat down. "Because you don't talk to anyone unless you're calling them out, scowl most of the time, and generally have a stand-offish disposition."

Melanie opened her mouth to retort, but stopped herself. "I...didn't realize..."

"Is there a reason you're so..." Reed adjusted his glasses. "...guarded?"

"Several." She replied. "And believe me, you don't want to dig into that."

He looked her in the eye. "I'm not digging...but if you want to talk about it, I'll listen."

Melanie hesitated. "I...grew up on the streets...my dad tried to take care of me, but...he takes all his baggage out on himself...tries to drink his problems away. I keep hearing that he used to be some great huntsman...I hear about the things he did, the good and the bad, and in all those stories he was some incredible cunning warrior. I've never seen that man...just a lousy drunk. Everything I learned I had to learn the hard way. I learned to read by stealing books, learned to fight by surviving back-alley creeps, learned to steal and run by scrounging for money and food. I have been drugged, kidnapped, ambushed, and so much more, time and time again. I didn't go to a school to fight monsters, I fought to survive _people._ I came here to get out of that life and actually do some good."

Reed thought for a moment. "You've never had any professional combat training."

"Nope." Melanie conceded.

"That's why we're stuck." He said. "You've never had training and I don't know how to improvise."

Melanie looked over. "We've been trying to overpower each other...when we should have been learning from each other."

Reed grinned. "Why don't we give sparring another go?"

They headed back to the arena, drawing their weapons once more. Reed gave Violet Cross a quick glance.

"Your hilt's one-handed...the blade is weightless, right?" Reed inferred. "That means you don't have to worry about swinging power. You can focus entirely on speed and momentum. Think about the flexibility of your wrist, and how you can use that." He demonstrated by twirling Schultz.

Melanie tried a twirl of her own, adding some more movement to it. "Alright, not bad, I can use this."

"Good. You've got your movement down. Now you need to know where to move to. There are six attack and guard zones. Your head, your right arm, your left arm, your back, your right leg, and your left leg." Reed instructed.

Melanie began to practice blacking at each zone. "Nice...now let me teach you a few things about improvising."


	23. Volume 1: Chapter 19

The team was at lunch, as usual. Reed and Crimson were chatting, occasionally turning to another classmate or friend. Melanie was keeping to herself as usual, when she noticed that Nina was also keeping to herself...and wasn't eating.

"Something wrong?" Melanie asked.

Nina's head popped up with a squeak. "Huh? What? Nothing, I'll just, uh..."

She quickly got up and left, leaving Melanie confused. "Did I...do something?"

Reed raised an eyebrow. "She's been like that since you questioned her about Lizzie. You haven't noticed?"

"I...no..." Melanie blinked. "I'm...going to go talk to her."

She rushed after Nina, following her into the dorm hallways. The cat Faunus was fumbling with her scroll, trying to unlock the door.

"Nina..." Melanie began.

Nina immediately jumped in surprise. "Eep! Uh...Melanie...hey..."

Melanie hesitated. "Did I...scare you?"

"Uh..." Nina gulped. "...yeah..."

"I..." Melanie sighed. "I'm sorry."

Nina paused. "You were...trying to look out for Crimson."

"I was." Melanie admitted. "But I went too far. I'm...not used to having...friends. Growing up, if I wanted someone to help me, I had to make them...they had to be scared of me...and as a malnourished homeless girl, that took a lot of work. This environment is so different, and...I'm still adjusting."

"I know how that feels." Nina confessed. "I've spent my whole life scared. At the first sign of aggression, I just...try to curl up and hide...that's all I was ever able to do."

Melanie waved the lock open for Nina. "Maybe we should...talk. I think we have more in common than we know."

Nina gave a weak smile. "Alright...as long as it's...nice."

"I..." Melanie winced. "I'll try my best."

They stepped in and sat down. There was an awkward moment of silence, neither one knowing how to begin.

"So..." Melanie started "Um...do you have a last name? I've never really heard anyone say it, so..."

Nina shook her head. "That man...the one with Crimson...he..."

Melanie thought back to their brief encounter with him. "He said...he was like your father-"

"NO!" Nina shouted. "No, he's not."

Melanie paused. "My dad...he looks at this photo on his scroll a lot. He's never told me who it is, but...I have a good guess...in the photo, she's wearing this necklace." Melanie held up the claw necklace dangling from her throat. "It's my mom's...Sarah Jomin."

Nina's ears flattened. "So...you've never met her?"

"No." Melanie admitted. "Supposedly, she died in childbirth...do you want to know what she looked like?" Nina nodded. "She had silver hair, and red eyes." Nina's ears perked up. "And she was a Cat Faunus...just like you."

"She...looked like me?" Nina muttered.

Melanie gave a small smile. "Well, her hair was straight, and she didn't have freckles. Less of a round face too. So, not your spitting image, but...the passing resemblance is still..."

Nina sighed. "I just wish I knew something about my real family."

Melanie thought for a moment. "You know...Nina Jomin has a nice ring to it."

"Jomin? Your mom's last name?" Nina asked. "Melanie, I couldn't-"

"You couldn't pass as a relative?" Melanie questioned. "Who's to say you're not my cousin or something?"

Nina hesitated. "Melanie, it's your mom's name."

"I know." Melanie stated. "But she's gone...and you're not...you deserve a family, Nina. That starts with a name."

Nina smiled. "Thanks...it means a lot."

Melanie smiled back. "I should be thanking you...I saw how scared of me you were, and it made me realize...I don't want to be an outsider here...at least not with you guys. If I'm going to have friends, it should at least be the people I have to trust my life with."

"Does this mean you're dropping the tough girl act?" Nina asked.

Melanie chuckled. "No way. I may be nice to you guys, but I still need to let everyone else know not to mess with me."

Nina pulled Melanie into a hug, shocking the auburn-haired girl. After a few seconds, she hugged back. They both closed their eyes...having a family was nice.


	24. Volume 1: Chapter 20

Team CRMN was in Richard's class, Alternative Careers. Richard had just finished a lecture on applying Huntsman skills to practical careers, when the bell rang. The students filed out, except for Melanie, who approached Professor Shaden.

"Ms. Lemay." He observed. "You should hurry along, you might miss your next class."

Melanie hesitated. "Could we talk later? I...have some questions...about my parents."

Richard paused. "Individual sparring time, I'll be in here."

"Thank you." Melanie stated.

Richard nodded, preparing for the next class coming in. Later that day, Melanie returned. Richard looked up and gestured to a desk,

"Please, sit." He offered. "What is it you wanted to know?"

Melanie leaned against the edge of the desk, rather than sitting behind it. "I...it's not something specific I can ask...most of what I know is from rumors and guesses..."

"Phillip hasn't...told you anything?" Richard asked.

Melanie shook her head. "Only what he mutters in his sleep. If he's not drunk, he's passed out."

Richard ran a hand through his hair. "Phillip...what the hell happened to you..."

"You know full well what happened to him." Melanie said. "That's the one conclusive thing I have pulled from him...I know exactly what he did...and so do you."

Richard glanced around. "You haven't-"

"Ratted my dad out?" Melanie asked. "No, he's my dad. He may be a lousy drunk, but I still love him."

Richard breathed a sigh of relief. "So all you know about your dad is he's drowned in self misery, and...the reason why."

Melanie sighed. "And that's still more than I know about my mom."

"What do you know about her?" Richard asked.

"Her name?" Melanie shrugged. "Maybe what she looks like...that this necklace was probably hers."

Richard took a deep breath. "I see...let me start from the beginning then. Thirty years ago, your mother, Sarah Jomin, your father, Phillip Lemay, me, Richard Shaden, and Crimson's father, Johnathan Dram, all enrolled in Haven academy. During the entrance exam, I partnered with your mother, Sarah. She was...confident, clever, witty, quick on her feet and in her mind. We were a power duo, and we were fast friends. I know that Phillip and Johnathan somehow partnered up, but I don't know what happened between them...only that Phillip was pissed and Johnathan was embarrassed. We became team SPRJ (Spring), of which Sarah was the leader. And she was an incredible one. She knew how to direct each of us to our full potential...she made us the best versions of ourselves. Phillip was the slowest of us to change...he was a stubborn cynic with a death wish, but...Sarah gave him a reason to live. It happened during a solo mission on our second year...we were all close friends by then, but Phillip's personality hadn't really changed until then. We were called to deal with bandits stealing dust from a local mine. They somehow caught wind of us, ambushed us...Phillip was on recon, but the rest of us...we were hit with some kind of poison...it paralyzed us...and the mine was caved in behind us, sealing us in. Apparently, Phillip went berserk. We were hazy with the lack of oxygen and the lingering effects of the drug, but the next thing we heard was the bandits screaming, and lots of gunfire. Johnathan couldn't hear what was being said, but Sarah and I..."

"What do you mean? What did you hear?" Melanie asked.

Phillip looked at her. "Phillip was talking to...the last of the bandits."

* * *

"You're insane." The bandit said. "You're a psychopath! You slaughtered us all!"

Phillip grabbed the man by the throat, extending the hidden blade from his other gauntlet. "You buried my family."

"Wait!" The bandit screamed. "They were deeper in the mine, the cave-in might not have caught them!"

Phillip growled, but dropped the man. He looked around, spotting a cart full of dust. He ran over and started pushing it along the track, back towards the rubble blocking the entrance. He took a few steps back, then extended the hidden pistol from his gauntlet. He shot the dust, detonating the rubble.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" The bandit screamed as the explosion shook around them. "YOU COULD BRING THE WHOLE MOUNTAIN DOWN!"

Phillip ignored the man, running in. He found the rest of his team inside. Sarah and Richard were already getting to their feet, so he went to lift Johnathan, looping the nerd's arm over his shoulder.

"Come on, Johnny. We're making it outta here." He said, dragging Johnathan behind him.

Richard went over to help, lifting Johnathan's other side. "Come on."

* * *

"Why was Johnathan taking so long to recover?" Melanie asked.

Richard sighed. "His aura control wasn't as good as ours, so his body was trying to fight the toxin on its own. It was destroying his immune system, and he couldn't focus to replenish his aura. Phillip was the most worried any of us had ever seen him. Every night Johnathan was in sickbed, Phillip was out looking for information. A thief named Carmen Rouge, Crimson's mother, told Phillip of an inoculation the bandit tribe used, and agreed to help him steal it. When they came back, Phillip rushed to inoculate him. It worked, and Johnathan was the most shocked to see how relieved Phillip was. After that, Sarah began spending a lot more time teasing Phillip. We all grew closer, but...for Phillip...it seemed like the closest he'd ever been to anyone. He and Sarah, of course, started dating by the time the Vytal festival came around. Shortly after graduation, they married. Then Johnathan and Carmen married. Then I married Stephanie. We stayed a team for years of course, Carmen and Stephanie even joined us. But then Sarah got pregnant...Phillip and Sarah retired...Johnathan and I started RedOwl...some time later, Sarah was badly hurt in a riot. By the time we got there, she was...gone...and Phillip was nowhere to be seen. He didn't show up to her funeral, to any of the class reunions, he just...disappeared. He did show up to Johnathan's funeral, but not as part of the service. I caught him watching from a distance, and...that was when he told me."

Melanie looked down. "It's been...seven, eight years? That was when he really regressed. He wasn't there a lot before, but when he was...he tried. After that, he just gave up."

"I'm sorry." Richard said.

Melanie sat back. "It's not your fault...we all dig our own graves...one way or another."


	25. Volume 1: Chapter 21

Team CRMN stood at the beginning of the obstacle course, looking out at the task ahead of them. Four levitating platforms moved back and forth, whilst lasers shot forth from the far wall, clearly designed to incapacitate whoever stood on the platforms.

"Reed and I will go high." Crimson stated. "Melanie and Nina, go low."

Crimson began running up the platforms, dodging the lasers as he went. Reed merely flew straight up. Melanie dropped below the platforms, kicking off the wall to avoid landing in a pool of acid, but now having to fight against the heavy wind from a fan at the end of the hall. Nina formed an ice slide to drop down to the bottom, where a series of walls with small gaps slid forward. Crimson leaped off the top platform onto the floor, narrowly avoiding a spike as Reed passed over head. Crimson saw a retracting bridge, and dropped under it to find a flamethrower. He used his semblance to disperse the flames, and continued onward. Reed flew over a lava pool, avoiding a massive hammer that swung at him from the ceiling. Melanie reached the end of the hall, and saw an opening above her. She leaped up, pushing off the wall for a second leap to bring her up to the edge. Crimson walked over, extending his hand to help her up. She took it, letting him pull her into the next room. Nina was ducking and diving through the small gaps in the walls, gradually advancing until she reached a portal at the end of the hall. She leaped through, clinging onto a wall. When she looked down, a pack of beowolves sat in a pit, snarling up at her.

"Eep! Uh, little help here?!" She called.

Reed flew over, giving her a lift up to the top of the platform. Melanie and Crimson caught up, using gravity dust to maneuver over a massive fan. Ahead of them was a massive piston that slammed into the room below every few seconds. In the room, there was a small hole dropping down to a section below. Across however, there was another platform. Reed and Nina, being the fastest, dropped down through the hole moments before the piston would have crushed them. Crimson and Melanie ran over the top of the piston to the adjacent platform. A large boulder rolled out of an opening at them. The two took cover in a small trench before hopping out to reach an opening in the floor. Meanwhile, Nina and Reed were maneuvering down rotating platforms that randomly electrified. Crimson and Melanie found that the walls of the opening were covered in spikes, leaving them no other option but to jump straight down. As they fell, gravity around them shifted, hurling them against the far wall. Crimson stabbed his armblades into the wall to gradually crawl towards the next room, whilst Melanie began jumping off of suspended platforms in the air. All four entered the next room at the same time, finding a large gate waiting for them, and another opening in the floor. Skittering footsteps could be heard approaching, as a deathstalker emerged.

"What's the plan?" Melanie asked.

Crimson gave the creature a look. "Our goal is to make it to the end of the course, that's our priority. Don't engage it unless absolutely necessary, and don't leave a teammate to face it alone. We stick together on this one...alright, go!"

The team rushed forward, heading for the hole. Nina was the fastest, using her semblance to skate across the ground. The deathstalker saw, and went to strike with its tail.

"Nina, wall!" Crimson shouted.

Nina immediately raised a wall of ice to block the tail strike as she slid to a stop right by the hole. Meanwhile, Reed flew up to an electrified platform, and redirected the surge right at the deathstalker. The shock paralyzed the Grimm long enough for Reed to join Nina. Melanie managed to reach them soon after, throwing a dagger in one of the deathstalker's eyes to blind and stun it. Crimson slid in with a blast of flames that pushed the creature back, before ushering everyone down the opening. He was the last to follow, as all four slid down a ramp into the goal. A buzzer went off, announcing their victory, and the simulation ended.

"Well done." Ozpin stated, clapping lightly. "Far from perfect, but well done nonetheless."

Crimson smiled and nodded. "Thank you, professor Ozpin."

"If I might offer a critique." Ozpin began. "You were right to prioritize your mission, but the four of you could have defeated that deathstalker nonetheless. The only thing more dangerous than a Grimm is an experienced one. Do you understand?"

Crimson paused. "I think so..."

"Good." Ozpin grinned. "Then you're dismissed. Go enjoy the rest of your day."

As they stepped out, Melanie nudged Crimson with her elbow. "So...how should we celebrate?"

Crimson paused. "You're the one that wants to celebrate?"

She shrugged. "I'm trying to...team bond, or...whatever. I just thought, since we passed that exam and all...you know..."

"I think it's a great idea!" Nina cut in.

Crimson chuckled. "Reed?"

"Ozpin did tell us to enjoy the rest of the day." He pointed out.

"Alright, so how do we do this?" Crimson asked.

Melanie pondered for a moment. "We could...hang out at my place?" She suggested it a little hesitantly.

"I thought you were..." Crimson paused. "...you said you...didn't...have a home."

"I...kinda...stay in an abandoned warehouse..." Melanie admitted. "But it's big enough for us to...you know...hang out, have fun...that kinda stuff."

Reed raised an eyebrow. "So...what do you do for fun?"

"Uh..." She paused. "Not much...you?"

Crimson scratched his head. "Video games."

"Books." Reed stated.

Nina hummed. "Honestly...just being with you guys is fun." Everyone looked at her. "What? It's true."

Crimson turned back to Melanie. "If you're sure you're okay with it then we'd be happy to spend the day with you."

She smiled. "Alright then. Follow me."

They made their way to where the slums met the docks, and sure enough, there was an abandoned warehouse right there. Melanie led them in, giving a cautionary look around as she entered.

"Dad? Are you here?" She called

There was no answer...just eerie silence.

Nina covered her nose. "What's that smell?"

"Alcohol." Melanie answered. "You guys wait down here, I'll go check on him."

Melanie went up to the room her father slept in. She crept in, seeing him passed out in the corner...a bottle still clutched in his hand. His stomach visibly rose and fell with his breathing, so she left him there.

"He's asleep." She told the others. "We should stay down here...I don't wanna disturb him."

The others nodded their agreement, though a look from Crimson made it clear that they knew there was more to it than what she said. Reed and Nina were looking around the vast, mostly empty space.

"So...what do we do?" Reed asked.

"We could...talk?" Melanie suggested.

Crimson raised an eyebrow. "What about?"

"Well...apparently, our parents were on a team together." Melanie said.

Reed took a seat on a crate. "They were? I knew Crimson's father was teammates with my dad, but..."

"Team SPRJ." Crimson stated. "And that means...Phillip and Sarah Lemay...I knew that name sounded familiar."

"You knew?" Melanie questioned.

Crimson shook his head. "Mom and Dad used to talk about them, but I didn't put it together until just now."

"Richard only told me a few days ago." Melanie confessed. "It's...funny, I guess...that we all end up on a team together...but, I'm happy. You guys are...good for me."

Nina pulled Melanie into a surprise hug. "I knew you were nice!"

Crimson chuckled. "For the record...I'm happy too. I know we're barely at the tail end of the semester, but...you guys really do feel like a family to me."

"I'd drink to that, but I think my dad finished all the beer off." Melanie joked.

The team laughed, and continued discussing things, learning more of each other. As the day tapered off into night, Crimson, Reed, and Nina took their leave. Melanie insisted on staying to check on her father...yet despite the pleasantries, once they were gone, Melanie felt...hollow...there was still so much she was hiding...so much she could never tell them. She stepped over to a crate containing the RedOwl logo, and lifted the lid. Inside were high-tech pieces of gear, and a mask, all colored black. She ran her hand along a piece of it, wiping off a later of dust. With a somewhat relieved sigh, she closed the crate, and walked away.


	26. Volume 1: Chapter 22

"Hello class." Richard stated, as usual. "Today we're going to be looking at prominent figures of Huntsmen who maintain other careers. We'll start with Carl Strikz, the current CEO of RedOwl."

Crimson sighed. "Of course."

"Not fond of him?" Melanie asked.

"Considering how corrupt we know the place has gotten, he's either unaware of it, or part of it. Either way, he's a putz." Crimson responded.

An image of the man appeared. He had grey hair and dark eyes, and dressed in a business suit. As soon as she saw him, Nina gasped.

"No..." She whispered, wide-eyed.

Richard continued his lecture, unaware. "Carl has actually had a lengthy career as a Huntsman. His semblance slows his aging, allowing him to stay active as long as he has."

Nina shook her head. "No...that's not true."

"Carl is in fact, a veteran of the Faunus wars, and considered a hero. He, of course, fought on the Human front, but even the Faunus recognized his skill and prowess as a warrior. Both sides held a great deal of respect for him, even after the war." Richard stated, still not noticing Nina's growing discomfort.

"That's not true..." She began muttering, almost urgently, catching her team's attention.

Richard still went on, focused more on the students he knew to be less attentive. "In the present day, Carl is known to be a renowned futurist. He provides charity foundations and humanitarian aid for Human and Faunus alike, promoting equality and well-being for-"

**_"THAT'S NOT TRUE!"_** Nina shouted, as frost exploded outward from her, covering the whole room.

Everyone was looking at her now, completely shocked by the outburst. Nina was breathing heavily, and looked around at all the expressions of confusion. She ran out in a panic, the frost trailing behind her as she rushed to the dorms.

"Wow...spaz." Cardin commented.

"What was that?" Nora asked.

Blake looked over at the rest of team CRMN. "Is she okay?"

Richard cleared his throat. "Everyone should...settle down. Crimson...please go check on your teammate."

Crimson nodded and took his leave, following the frost trail to the dorm. He stepped in and found Nina curled up on her bed, crying into her knees.

"Nina...what's wrong?" He asked.

She looked up, her ears flattened against her head and her eyes filled with tears. "It's not true...all those things he said...they're not true."

Crimson sat down next to her. "Then tell me the truth, Nina."

"That person...C-Carl...he did this to me." Nina said. "All of it."

"You mean..." Crimson looked at her scars...at her transplanted eye... "He's the one that hurt you?"

She nodded. "As long as I can remember...since I was tiny...I lived in a room...a cell. He had doctors there to keep me alive, but...just barely. Whenever he was angry or impatient, or...just bored...he...he called it "practice." Said he couldn't get rusty...he'd have the doctors tell me something, and told me to keep from saying it as long as I could...then he..."

Crimson looked horrified. A hand had gone up to cover his mouth, and his eyes were wide with the realization of just what she'd been through.

"Nina, I...why didn't you tell us sooner?" He asked.

She hugged her legs tighter. "I was...scared...and I didn't know who it was...and...I didn't want to think about it."

"Wait...if he's the one that hurt you...he's also the guy that kidnapped me..." Crimson sighed. "Nina...we have to tell the headmaster."

She sniffed. "Would he believe us?"

"Nina...my dad told me once that Ozpin was possibly one of the most noble Huntsmen that he knew..." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on...we'll get the others, and we'll tell him..."

She nodded slowly. "Alright..."

Crimson went to stand, when she suddenly sprang into a hug around him. He hugged her back as she cried into his shoulder.

"Hey...it's gonna be okay..." He said. "You're safe."

When the rest of the team got back from class, Nina told them everything. Melanie and Reed were just as shocked as Crimson had been, and agreed with his decision to tell Ozpin...so the team made their way to Ozpin's office at the top floor, where he was sitting at his desk, drinking coffee as usual.

He looked up, observing them. "Ah, team CRMN. To what do I owe this visit? I take it the matter is more important than your classes, as you're here rather than there."

Crimson nodded. "It is, Professor...Nina?"

She stepped forward nervously. "Professor...Carl Strikz held me captive and tortured me for sixteen years...all the scars on my body are from him, including my left eye. I escaped when my semblance awakened, just a few months before the beginning of the school year. A Faunus by the name of Kane found me, and taught me to fight, before helping me enroll here at Beacon."

Ozpin leaned forward and furrowed his brow. "That is...quite the story...you've been through a lot, young lady." Nina nodded. "I'm going to tell the four of you something, but you mustn't speak about it to anyone. I've been investigating Carl for quite some time, under the suspicion that he's not the white knight he portrays himself as. A trial is nearby in the foreseeable future...Nina, if you wouldn't mind, your testimony and a medical examination of your scars would prove very helpful."

She paused. "If I do...he won't be able to hurt anyone else?"

"That is the hope." Ozpin assured. "I understand your unease...we'd be asking you to bring an unthinkably painful experience into detail...almost to relive it..."

"I'll do it." She said. "Anything to stop him."

Ozpin gave her a warm smile. "Thank you...one more thing...Kane Fenris, and Elizabeth Shaden." He watched as the four exchanged nervous glances. "I look into every student that enters my school. I knew who Kane was before you even stepped onto the campus. As for Elizabeth...Richard informed me of that one. Let me make something clear. The White Fang is not to be trusted. The organization may be comprised of those with good intent, but it is poisoned by those who act out of spite. I tell you this, so you may pass it on to your friends. They should leave while they still can...that's all I have to say on the matter. You four may return to your classes, you have fifteen minutes before your absences are no longer excused."

Crimson nodded. "Yes, professor. Thank you."

With that, the team stepped out. Ozpin watched the elevators close, and rubbed his head with a sigh.

"Carl..." He muttered. "...you were always ruthless...but this...have you really put your lot in with her?" He sighed. "You've woven quite the tangled web...sooner or later, you'll find you've only trapped yourself within it."


	27. Volume 1: Chapter 23

Nina and Reed entered the camp, trying to hide their nerves. Faunus in Grimm masks looked up, watching the two as they headed towards the main tent. Nobody attempted to stop them, but there was murmured discussion about whether they were supposed to be here.

Lizzie stormed out of the tent, marching straight towards Reed. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Reed adjusted his glasses. "Nina and I need to talk to you and Kane."

"You shouldn't even know we're here. How did you find us?" She questioned.

Kane stepped out. "That's enough, Lizzie. We'll talk inside."

She scowled, before looking out at the rest of the camp. "They were never here."

The four stepped back in the tent, which appeared to be some kind of war room. Maps and reports were strewn across a large table, lit by small dust lamps at each corner.

"Nina, it's good to see you again." Kane said, pulling her into a hug. "Now...what was so important that the two of you had to march right in here?"

Nina took a deep breath. "I think...you and Lizzie should leave the White Fang."

Kane looked around, as if someone would be listening. "Nina, that's...a dangerous suggestion...especially now."

"Adam's group has been hunting deserters." Lizzie informed.

Kane nodded. "More than that...he's preparing for something big...he's not telling anyone what, but...he's been working with Human criminals, smuggling things from Vale's black market...and his attacks are only becoming more and more violent."

Reed frowned. "You're not with Adam Taurus."

"No." Lizzie stated. "We're trying to stop him."

"Our faction is still loyal to the ideals of Ghira Belladonna." Kane explained. "We respect the leadership of Sienna Khan, but at heart what we want is not to scare people. We're trying to achieve equality by exposing the cruel practices of corporations like the Schnee Dust Company and RedOwl industries."

Reed paused. "You really are just trying to help."

Kane nodded. "I've tried reaching out to Ghira, but none of my messages make it through."

"There's something else..." Nina stated. "Carl Strikz...he's the one that..."

"You're sure?" Kane asked. "With his public image, any attack on him would just support what the media already thinks of us."

"It was him." Reed reaffirmed. "He tortured Nina, kidnapped Crimson, and even Ozpin believes he's more sinister than he appears."

Lizzie sighed. "Makes sense. He's a veteran of the Faunus war, if anyone'd be a racist prick, it's him."

"Ozpin knows about you two." Nina said. "That's why we're here...he said we should warn you about the Fang."

Kane and Lizze exchanged a glance. They both removed their masks, looking at Reed and Lizzie.

Kane ran a hand through his hair. "Nina...we know the dangers...we're still here."

"We believe in what we're doing." Lizzie said. "That's what matters."

Reed nodded in acceptance. "In that case...we need to ask a favor."

"We need more evidence to convict Carl Strikz." Nina stated.

Kane gave a grin. "We might have a few leads."

Lizzie nodded. "We're more than happy to take him down a peg."

"Thank you." Nina said. "Just show me where to look."


	28. Volume 1: Chapter 24

Nina and Melanie crept through a RedOwl warehouse, ducking past and hiding from patrols. Kane's intel had told them that RedOwl was keeping something important here, and that whatever it was would likely be more than enough to expose the company. They peeked through a shelf as another group passed, before scurrying over to the recent shipments. Nina kept watch while Melanie opened up a crate, looking through the contents.

"Vials...looks like some kind of medical supplies?" She moved onto the next crate. "Same labels, but these are gas canisters...whatever they made, they wanted it airborne."

She gasped at the next crate, dropping the lid shut. It made a loud thud, catching the attention of some guards. Nina immediately grabbed her, and they rushed behind another hiding spot.

"What did you find?" Nina asked.

Melanie gulped. "Armor...it..." She shook her head. "...the crew that killed Crimson's father...they were wearing that armor."

"How do you know that?" Nina asked.

"I saw the security footage." Melanie said. "It's public record."

"You mean..." Nina glanced at the crate. "Carl had Crimson's dad killed?"

"He sure did. But you weren't supposed to know about that." The voice of Zachariah Alabaster spoke from behind them.

Before Melanie could react, she was shot by his stun gun, and fell over. Nina immediately drew her own guns and started firing at him. He rolled out of the way, seeming to disappear as he did. Nina turned to Melanie, trying to lift her up. She felt a brief shock on contact, and immediately after Melanie stopped convulsing.

"Are you okay?" Nina asked.

Melanie grunted and lifted herself up. "I'm pissed."

She ignited Violet Cross, grunting as she stood. The security was already running over towards them, but Zachariah was still nowhere to be seen. Nina began firing off at the guards, trying to retreat, but Melanie dashed forward, cutting their weapons apart and bashing them with elbow strikes and kicks. Nina barely dodged a shot from Zachariah, turning to fire in the direction he'd shot from, but she still couldn't see him. She heard him charging his weapon, and shot in that direction. He dodged, muttering a curse to himself. She continued firing wherever she heard him, running in that direction.

"What kind of semblance lets you disappear?" She wondered.

She felt a sudden kick to her gut, forcing her back, but she was already shooting at Zachariah. He rolled to the side and pistol whipped her in the face, but she remained unfazed.

"There you are." She grinned, now able to see him.

He grimaced. "How the hell are you recovering so fast?"

Nina dropped her gun to catch his next punch and slam him against a wall. "After everything _he_ put me through, do you really think you can do anything to hurt me?"

"I can think of one thing." He said, before jamming a syringe into her shoulder.

She immediately pulled it free, her aura healing the puncture. Zachariah disappeared the moment she let go of him. Nina turned to see Melanie still battling the guards. She ran over to help out, attempting to freeze them. Instead, her aura weakly flickered, and she felt it start fading.

"What?" She muttered.

She aimed her remaining gun at the guards, but the room was beginning to look darker to her right eye...like her night vision was fading.

"Melanie..." She felt a chill at the back of her neck. "Melanie, something's wrong!"

Her head began to feel like it was under intense pressure. Her muscles started to ache, and she fell over. She barely caught herself with her free hand, before forcing herself back up, and starting to fire off at the guards. Melanie spotted her and rushed over, catching her before she fell again. All of a sudden, Melanie was carrying her out...everything was starting to blur.

"Melanie...I don't feel so good." She muttered.

She saw police sirens...and an ambulance...Melanie set her down on a cushion of some kind...and she blacked out.


	29. Volume 1: Chapter 25

Nina woke up cuffed to a hospital bed. Her whole body felt sore, and it was like all her energy had been drained. There was an IV drip in her arm, and her veins were all a dark red.

"What...where?" Her head was foggy and unfocused.

The door opened, as a doctor stepped in. "You're awake..." He went over to check the computer by her bed. "...you're very lucky to be alive. Do you remember any of what happened?"

Nina shook her head. "No...I was...with my teammate?"

"A powerful nerve agent was injected into your body...it nearly killed you." He explained. "From what we can tell...it attacked the Faunus side of your DNA...it's possible that being half Human is what saved your life."

"Half...Human?" She asked.

The doctor gave her a look. "Yes..."

"I...didn't know..." She muttered. "Why am I...cuffed?"

"You and your teammate were found trespassing on private property. The police have placed your team under arrest until they can sort this whole thing out." The doctor explained. "I'll have to tell them you're awake. I believe they may have some questions for you."

With that, he stepped out. Soon after, a detective entered, taking a seat.

"You don't look so good." He commented. "The doctor says you're gonna live though."

"Who..." She managed.

"I'm detective Phoenix. You might remember me from the time you stole evidence from my crime scene to try and find your friend." He saw her expression. "Yeah, I noticed. Didn't raise a fuss then because he got out alright. You seemed like good kids, so I let it go. This one, though...wanna tell me what you were doing in that warehouse?"

Nina paused. "What I was..."

The man sighed. "My Semblance lets me know if someone's hiding something, so don't even try it. Right now, it looks like you and your team were trying to steal equipment from RedOwl. The best thing you can do for you and your friends is tell me what was really going on."

"We were...looking for evidence." Nina confessed. "To incriminate...Carl Strikz."

"Carl Strikz? The philanthropist?" The detective sat back. "The man's a hero."

"Then why...does he have...a nerve agent...that targets...Faunus..." Nina managed.

Detective Phoenix frowned. "You're saying he's the one that poisoned you?"

Nina shook her head. "Zachariah...Alabaster...working on...his orders."

"You seem confident that Carl's the one behind all this." The detective stated. "But the evidence so far suggests any corruption within RedOwl circles back to Alabaster. As for you...we tried to look into you, but found nothing. Before you enrolled in Beacon, you didn't even exist. A Faunus with no documented history attacking a major corporation...you understand why that raises some red flags?"

Nina gave a short cough. "That's why I know it's him."

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"You see...my scars?" She asked. "Every single one...came from him."

The detective looked at her scars, putting the pieces together in his mind. "You're telling the truth." He stood up. "Thank you for your cooperation."

With that, he walked out. Nina sighed, laying there. The door opened, and Professor Ozpin stepped in.

"Finding my students in situations like these is becoming increasingly tiresome." He stated. "Let's get those cuffs off, shall we?"


	30. Volume 1: Chapter 26

Crimson rolled his eyes as he sat in the interrogation room, waiting for Phoenix and Ozpin to enter.

* * *

Reed sat patiently, his expression completely neutral.

* * *

Melanie leaned her chair back, resting her legs on the table as she waited.

* * *

Nina had to be brought to the table in a wheelchair. Her veins were still a sickly red, but it had faded considerably.

* * *

Phoenix cleared his throat. "So. We've come to understand that you and your team have reason to believe Carl Strikz is a criminal, and the source of corporate corruption within RedOwl. We need to know all the events that led to that battle in the warehouse, and how it fits into all of this."

"It's best if you start from the beginning." Ozpin suggested.

* * *

"It's hard to say when it all started." Crimson said.

* * *

Reed adjusted his glasses. "I wasn't there from the beginning...I imagine all this started long before we got involved."

* * *

"Please, anyone on the streets could tell that prick was rotten." Melanie stated. "I just didn't get involved until it became personal.

* * *

"I was involved from the beginning." Nina said. "And not by choice."

* * *

"I guess the first thing that led us here was my kidnapping." Crimson suggested.

* * *

"Crimson being kidnapped was really what pulled me in." Reed said.

* * *

Melanie sighed. "One day I just wake up to a distress call from Crimson."

* * *

"I didn't know Crimson's kidnapping had anything to do with him, but that's really what pulled me back in." Nina explained.

* * *

"It was Zachariah Alabaster." Crimson stated.

* * *

Reed cleared his throat. "Someone named Zachariah Alabaster."

* * *

Melanie scowled. "Alabaster. That piece of-"

* * *

"Zachariah Alabaster was the kidnapper." Nina confirmed.

* * *

"He hit me with some kind of stun weapon." Crimson stated. "It was a pistol...mid to short range...electric dust. I'm lucky my teammates found me."

* * *

"I programmed most of Crimson's equipment, so finding the footage was easy." Reed explained.

* * *

Melanie scratched her head. "His semblance is some kind of...perception filter. He slips out of notice, into blind spots..."

* * *

"His weapon..." Nina recalled. "It uses concentrated electric dust to throw the nervous system into shock, negating any aura defense...it was made to fight Huntsmen."

* * *

"I like engineering." Crimson explained.

* * *

"I'm good with computers." Reed explained.

* * *

"I know how to figure out people's dirty secrets." Melanie explained.

* * *

"I've...picked up an interest in chemistry." Nina explained.

* * *

Outside the interrogation room, Phoenix looked over the notes he'd taken. "Their stories are solid...different details, but no contradictions."

"That's because they're telling the truth." Ozpin stated. "I've suspected for some time that Carl's intentions were more sinister, but until young Nina approached me, I had no solid evidence."

"The more we find in that warehouse, the more suspect Carl looks." Phoenix affirmed.

"Indeed...and moreso, some of what was found is directly relevant to these children...they deserve to know." Ozpin said.

* * *

Ozpin sat across from Crimson, and set down his scroll, showing a few photos. "Do you recognize these?"

Crimson examined them...they were images of gear. Armor, weapons, and masks. He knew instantly where he'd seen them.

"The heist...the crew that killed my dad..." Crimson looked up. "They were working for Carl?"

Ozpin nodded. "It's very likely...I thought you should know...that way, Carl's arrest might bring you...closure."

Crimson handed the scroll back. "...thank you."

* * *

Ozpin took a sip of coffee as he sat across from Reed. "We ran a background check on Zachariah Alabaster to try and find what else he may have done for Carl. Ten years ago, he took a trip to Mantle. We believe his semblance is the reason he avoided detection, but...he can't hide from cameras."

Ozpin set his scroll down, and pulled up footage of a riot. He zoomed it on Zachariah, standing at the back of the crowd with a smirk.

"Other clips show him instigating random passersby...we believe he caused the riot under Carl's orders." Ozpin informed. "Most likely in an attempt to kill your parents, or at the least force them into retirement."

Reed's eyes widened. "It was...him..."

"You deserved to know." Ozpin stated. "Hopefully, when Carl is arrested, it will provide you with some sense of closure.

"Thank you." Reed muttered.

* * *

Ozpin looked Melanie in the eye, sitting across from her. "I'm afraid I have some rather weighty news for you."

She frowned. "I'm used to weighty news by now."

"Of course." Ozpin pulled up an image on his scroll. "We found this in a shipping container labelled 'trophies.' Do you recognize it?"

She looked at the image. It was a short sword meant to double as a crossbow.

"No...should I?" She asked.

Ozpin sighed. "It belonged to Sarah Jomin...your mother."

Her chair dropped down to its normal position as her palms slammed down on the table. "He didn't..."

"The circumstances of her death are still unknown...but it seems Carl may have been responsible." Ozpin affirmed. "I understand it's a touchy subject for you, but now...Carl's arrest might offer you some closure."

"Closure?!" She stood from her seat. "My mother is dead! I grew up on the streets with a dad that was either too busy or too drunk to take care of me! There is no closure for that! He ruined my childhood, and I'm never going to get it back! No, screw you!"

Melanie walked out of the room without another word.

* * *

Ozpin glanced at Nina's discolored veins. "How are you feeling, Nina?"

"It's...hard to explain. Like...my body's trying to remember how it's supposed to work." Nina said.

"The doctors said that your aura returned to you recently? Ozpin asked.

Nina nodded. "It's...healing the damage inside me...they told me I should make a full recovery, but I might feel some...residual pain...if I exert myself."

"How badly does it hurt?" Ozpin questioned.

She gave a short chuckle. "Anyone else would probably be in unbearable pain right now, but...compared to what I went through? I don't think pain really means the same thing to me."

"I see." Ozpin muttered. "While we were examining the warehouse, we found some things...the vials containing the nerve agent used against you were traced back to a hospital recently acquired under a RedOwl subsidiary...that hospital's records indicate that nearly eighteen years ago, a cat Faunus of silver hair and red eyes gave birth to a child of matching features. That child was placed up for adoption...and disappeared later that night. No names were included in the record, but...it's a lead, nonetheless."

She blinked. "Are you...planning on looking into it?"

Ozpin nodded. "For the purposes of our investigation, yes...but I feel it's also an opportunity for you to gain some closure."

"You mean...by finding my family?" She asked.

"Perhaps...or at least discovering what became of them." Ozpin stated.

Nina nodded. "Please...I want to know."

"Very well." Ozpin said. "I'll be sure to let you know what else we uncover."

"Professor..." Nina started. "...thank you."

* * *

Richard rushed into the station, spotting Ozpin. "Where are my sons?"

"They're alright, Richard." Ozpin assured. "We've just finished speaking with them."

"About what?" He asked.

"Carl." Ozpin informed. "These children's actions were reckless, but they've provided us several leads to follow."

"You _used_ them?!" Richard protested.

"Nothing of the sort." Ozpin insisted.

"Don't lie to him, Oz. You know exactly what you did." A voice came from behind Richard.

He turned to see Phillip standing there, staring down Oz. "Phillip?"

The man ignored Richard, walking straight up to Ozpin. "I'm only going to say this once. Leave my daughter out of your damn schemes."

Richard grabbed Phillip by the shoulder. "Phillip...not here..."

"Not here?" Phillip scolded. "Not anywhere, not ever."

"Your daughter has made her own decisions." Ozpin stated. "She chose to become a Huntress...to protect humanity...I'm merely providing her with the means to do so."

"Bullshit!" Phillip spat. "I know exactly what you said to those kids...you weren't giving them closure, you were adding fuel to the fire."

Ozpin sighed. "Phillip...you know what we're facing...who we're facing. I'm doing what I have to. These children have potential, but they need purpose...something to strive towards, if they are ever to become the heroes this world needs."

Phillip scowled. "I lost my wife...I lost my best friend...I'm not losing my daughter."

"You already gave up one." Ozpin stated.

Phillip punched Ozpin in the face, striking only the professor's aura. "You of all people have no right to judge me, Oz."

With that, Phillip walked off. Richard looked to Ozpin.

"They're kids, Oz...I know what we're doing is important, but...let them be free of it while they can..." Richard said.

Ozpin sighed. "I'm afraid it's not for much longer, Richard. First Autumn, and now this? Something is coming...if we're not ready for it, then all may already be lost."

* * *

**A Week Later...**

Team CRMN entered the dorm with a communal relieved sigh. Crimson collapsed into a chair, Reed stretched his wings, Melanie plopped onto her bed, and Nina rushed over to the bathroom.

"We made it through the semester." Crimson commented. "Which was still strangely daunting considering everything else we've had to deal with."

Reed gave a smile. "I'd say we came out better for all of it."

Melanie sighed. "I just want the rest of the year to be normal."

Nina came out of the bathroom. "So you're saying all the crazy adventure stuff isn't normal?"

There was a pause, before the team burst into laughter. They'd been through a lot, and there was more to come, but already they'd gained something more important than any challenge headed their way. They'd found a family in each other...and they were happy.


	31. Volume 2: Prologue

Carl Strikz sat in his office, scowling at Zachariah Alabaster. A scroll containing various intel on the teams CRMN and SPRJ sat on the desk between them, projecting a full overview around the room of everything Zachariah had uncovered regarding them, be it contacts, allies, semblances, even favorite foods and frequented locations.

"How much evidence do they have?" Carl asked.

"Enough." Zachariah responded. "...there's one more thing. Ozpin knows."

Carl sighed. "Of course he does, but he's just as interested in keeping up appearances as I am."

"When do we make our move?" Zachariah asked.

"The Vytal festival." Carl didn't even hesitate. "We can perform our first large scale test then as well."

Zachariah looked confused. "You'll give them that long to prepare for you? With Atlas already on its way here with the arena-"

"I'm giving them nothing!" Carl shouted. "There are very delicate pieces in play here, Alabaster! You don't see the picture I see, the big picture! We're already pieces in the game, I'm trying to become a player, do you understand?!"

"No. Because you never tell me anything. You leave Riza, Yoko, and me in the dark, and expect us to follow you blindly." Zachariah stated.

"Yes, I do!" Carl growled. "The three of you are only alive today because of me. I am your general, you are my soldiers. Follow your orders, and then after we win, you can have all the answers you want."

Zachariah scowled. "Listen here, I'm not just going to roll over and-"

Carl grabbed him by the throat. "And what?" His aura flared up, and a light began to seep from Zachariah into Carl. "What's given can be taken away. Power, trust, agency...I gave you your life, Alabaster. Do. You. Understand?"

Zachariah struggled to speak. "Yes...sir..."

With that, Carl dropped him. Zachariah gasped for breath, shuddering as his aura flickered.

"We make our move during the Vytal festival." Carl stated. "Any sooner is too filled with uncertainty, and any later would be too late. The Vytal Festival is the only time where things are certain."

"What...do you want...me...to do..." Zachariah coughed out.

Carl examined the data collected of the two teams. "We can't wait for the boy to come around on his own. It's time to start pulling some strings. Keep recruiting, more vigorously if you have to."

"I'm a wanted man, now." Zachariah stated.

"You can also go unseen whenever you like." Carl replied. "Just do your damn job...and let me do mine."


	32. Volume 2: Chapter 1

Crimson's motorcycle sped through the forest. Reed followed right behind, struggling to keep up with the vehicle. Behind them was Nina, skating on ice. Crimson maintained a lead, but it seemed Nina was gradually gaining on them. Crimson grinned as he spotted the school in the distance.

"Finish line's up ahead!" He called back to the others.

Reed sighed. "Finally. My wings feel ready to fall off."

Nina caught up to the two, giving Reed a playful wink as she passed him. "See ya!"

Crimson watched her skate past them. "Wow...she's gotten better...but so have I."

The motorcycle popped up into a wheelie, the throttle kicking up a notch. When the front wheel reconnected with the ground, it shot forward, rapidly gaining on Nina. They were approaching the school at dangerously high speeds now, Crimson and Nina being neck and neck. The finish line, in fact, was the school grounds, and someone else was already standing there. Crimson and Nina slid to a stop, seeing Melanie already waiting for them, arms crossed.

"What?!" Crimson shouted. "How'd you beat us here?!"

"I took an airship." She stated.

Nina blinked. "That was allowed?"

"Nobody said it wasn't." Melanie replied.

Reed landed behind the group, panting for breath. "Oh gods...my wings...feel like they're on fire."

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "You got quite the workout."

Nina pulled Reed into a hug. "Hey, you still did great!"

"Well...this was a fun break." Crimson chuckled.

Melanie eyed him. "We spent the whole break doing your _team exercises_."

"True." Crimson commented. "But did you enjoy them?"

She sighed. "Yes. I enjoyed them."

Crimson looked over to see Professor Goodwitch angrily storming into the cafeteria...which looked in a state of disrepair. "Uh...what happened there?"

"RWBY and JNPR started a food fight...but it got a little extreme." Melanie explained. "I noped out when Nora started picking up tables."

Reed narrowed his eyes. "Isn't...Pyrrha Nikos...on that team?"

"...yes..." Melanie confirmed. "Her involvement also surprised me, but...I mean, she's allowed to have fun. Celebrities are still people."

Crimson rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's head back to the dorms. We should figure out how we want to spend our last day of break."

The team returned to their room, moving to their preferred resting spots. Reed especially was happy to plop down on his bed and stretch his wings out.

"So what's on the docket for next semester?" Nina asked. "...did I say that right?"

"Yes, Nina, you said that right." Reed confirmed.

Crimson grinned. "The Vytal festival. And this year we get to participate."

Reed and Melanie immediately perked up. Nina on the other hand, looked confused.

"Oh, it's on." Melanie challenged.

Reed adjusted his glasses. "That explains why we've been training so hard all break."

"Um..." Nina looked around. "What's the Vytal festival?"

Reed sat up. "It's a bi-annual celebration of the peace treaty between the four kingdoms. This year marks the 40th festival, meaning we celebrate eight decades of peace."

Crimson nodded. "Vale's hosting this year. It's why so many students from other kingdoms have been arriving. Halfway through the semester we're going to be having the Vytal ball, basically a neat dance party arranged by the upperclassmen, usually a second-year team. Immediately after the ball, we get our first mission assignments."

"Oh please, let's just skip to the fun part." Melanie stated. "At the end of the school year, we get to fight in the Vytal tournament. Atlas brings over a floating arena and sets up matches for all the Huntsmen and Huntresses in training to duke it out. We basically get to kick ass on live TV."

Nina looked...slightly less confused. "So we celebrate peace...by having a dance...going on missions...and then fighting each other?"

Reed sighed. "It's...a bit more complicated than that. Before the great war, hunting Grimm wasn't considered a true career. People only fought Grimm to survive. After the kingdoms unified, they saw that the Grimm were a common enemy they could all rally behind. So they came to an agreement to train warriors that would fight the Grimm. It was the hope that these warriors would one day be the hunters that Grimm ran from, hence the name. Huntsmen and Huntresses. Then, they agreed on the Vytal festival as a means to mark their progress. Every two years, a kingdom would open its doors to welcome the rest of the world, the truest gesture of trust, as a reminder that even though we were four kingdoms, we are all one people. Then the ball was developed as a celebration, a remembrance to be happy...something to be upheld so that even in the darkest of times we would still have hope. It was after this that the Huntsmen and Huntresses in training would receive their first missions because the hope would still be fresh in their minds as they were sent out to battle the armies of darkness. Once these Huntsmen and Huntresses returned, they had experience to apply to their training...and the kingdoms wanted a way to mark their progress. The Vytal festival is a combat tournament, but it's still a friendly competition. It's a time for Huntsmen and Huntresses in training to show how much they've grown. A chance to inspire all of Remnant by showing that these children had the skills and abilities needed to become the protectors of life that all Huntsmen and Huntresses aspire to be."

Nina looked wide-eyed at Reed, amazed by the explanation. "That's...so amazing."

Crimson cleared his throat. "Should we, uh...go, and let you two have a moment?"

Reed raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Melanie burst out laughing. "Wow. Some guardians we are, can't even read the room."

Nina was confused once more. "Uh...what?"

"Nothing." Crimson said. "I was just making a joke."

"I...don't get it." Nina said.

Reed shook his head. "Me either, Nina."

So the two sat there as Crimson and Melanie laughed. The atmosphere was warm, and relieving, as the four of them hoped that the rest of their year would be just as fun as their break had been.


	33. Volume 2: Chapter 2

Crimson sat in class, only vaguely listening to Dr. Oobleck's history lecture. His mind was wandering to what Ozpin had told him about Carl Strikz...about him being involved in the death of Crimson's father. He scowled as his memories flashed to the day his father was murdered.

"Mr. Dram! Am I boring you?" Oobleck's words snapped Crimson to his senses.

"Uh, no professor." Crimson immediately rushed to correct himself. "Doctor, sorry."

"Good. Then you wouldn't mind telling the rest of the class where the peace treaty between the four nations was brokered?" Oobleck pressed.

Crimson paused. "Uh...Vytal...that's why it's called the Vytal festival."

Oobleck nodded. "Very good, it seems you were still with us to some capacity. Nonetheless, I'd caution you not to let your mind wander so much during class. You never know what little details you might miss."

"Right. Sorry, doctor." Crimson said.

After class, Melanie caught up to Crimson, walking beside him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Something Ozpin told me...after the warehouse incident." He explained. "I think...the man who killed my dad was working for...you know..."

"Strikz?" She asked. "Do you think...maybe it was Alabaster?"

Crimson shook his head. "No, it wasn't him."

"How do you know?" She questioned.

"A few reasons." Crimson explained. "I...used to go on...nighttime raids...looking for my dad's murderer. I came up against him during one of them, and I...questioned him...he didn't know who it was."

"He could have been lying." Melanie insisted.

"My visor was monitoring his pulse and facial expressions." Crimson countered.

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "Really? Turn it on."

Crimson paused. "Right now? Here? In the middle of the hall?"

"Do it, dingus." She said.

He sighed and activated the lie detector program. "Alright, now what's the point of this?"

"I am a 400 meter violet duck-billed ursa with lightish red horns and silver wings." She stated to his face.

To Crimson's surprise, the program detected no signs of deception. "Okay...point taken, but...how?"

She rolled her eyes. "Years of practice and mental training. Your pulse is controlled by your breathing, keep that steady and it doesn't change. Facial expressions are basic impulse control. Most people divert eye contact as a nervous mannerism. Confidence, even feigned, is all it takes to look someone in the eye. The hardest part is the subconscious tells. Sweating, hesitation, fidgeting or shifting, they're all involuntary reactions caused by fear of detection. You get around that by not being afraid. Rework your mindset in one of two ways, so that either what you're saying is true with inside knowledge either you know, or that their reaction to what you say isn't one to be afraid of. Case in point, what were you going to do? If he wanted to, he could use his semblance to slip away at any time. He simply wasn't scared."

"Alright, fine, he could have been lying, but I know it wasn't him." Crimson stated. "Trust me, I remember that day vividly...it wasn't him."

Melanie sighed. "Alright, I believe you."

They continued on to the next class, Crimson still thinking about the possibility, but only in the back of his mind. It was only during sparring that Melanie nudged him out of his train of thought.

"Hey, wanna fight?" She asked.

He blinked. "Uh...yeah, okay."

They both readied their weapons, but Melanie made the first move, rushing Crimson and pivoting behind him for a kick to the back of his legs. He fell to a crouch, having to plant one of his blades in the ground to steady himself, then immediately used it to flip forward back up to his feet.

"That was a bit of a cheap shot." He said.

She smirked. "That's how I fight, deal with it."

He chuckled, rushing in for a spinning double slash. Melanie ducked under and swung at his side, but he corkscrewed over the attack, using his momentum to swing again, forcing Melanie to back up. She threw a dagger at him, and reflexively he deflected it, but it was merely a distraction for her to rush him with a shoulder slam. He staggered back as she used her semblance to retrieve her dagger. She began slashing with both weapons in swift and fluid movements, not allowing Crimson the opportunity to recover, until finally he fell out of bounds.

"Ow." He complained.

She made a mock pouting face. "Oh, did that hurt?"

He sighed. "Are you trying to make a point here?"

"You're not focused, and it's throwing you off." She stated. "Stop worrying about maybes and just focus on improving yourself. If you make yourself stronger in the now, you'll be ready for when that moment comes."

He shook his head. "It's...not that simple. This means too much to me, I can't just not think about it."

"...then use that." Melanie stated. "Don't let it distract you, make it a reason not to lose."

She offered him a hand up, and he took it. "I didn't think you were the type for pep talks."

She shrugged. "And yet, here we are."

He chuckled. "Hey, you wanna go grab a snack?"

"Sure." She stated. "I pickpocketed some of Cardin's lien, so I should have enough."

Crimson paused. "Melanie, did you actually-"

She laughed. "No, of course not...it was Russel's."

Crimson gave a defeated sigh, but didn't object as they made their way to a snack machine. He couldn't help but crack a smile though. As much as he didn't always agree with her...he did like her. Somehow he felt...comfortable around her...it was relieving.


	34. Volume 2: Chapter 3

Reed sat in the library, looking through history books about the Faunus war. He rapidly scanned through the texts, factoring different information in as he continued searching. He barely even noticed Nina looking over his shoulder, tail swishing curiously behind her.

"Whatcha doing?" She asked.

He looked over at her. "Just...looking for something."

"Oh...can I help?" She offered.

He hesitated. "No, it's fine. This is something I need to find on my own."

"Are you sure?" She questioned. "I thought it was okay for teams to work together on projects."

He nodded. "I'm sure. This isn't for class, this is personal."

"Okay..." She pulled up a chair. "Then isn't that more reason for me to help you as a friend?"

He sighed. "You're being very persistent about this."

Her ears flattened. "Oh...is...is it bothering you?"

He saw her looking down, then looked at the book he was holding. He closed it, along with the others, and began stacking them.

"This can wait." He stated. "Why don't we do something else together?"

Her ears perked back up as her expression became hopeful. "Really? Okay!"

He smiled a little. "Let me just put these away and we can figure out what to do."

He returned the books and took the opportunity to think of any activities Nina might be interested. He found himself drawing blanks.

"So...what exactly do you like doing?" He asked.

Nina scratched the back of her head. "The thing is...I was hoping you could introduce me to some new things...seeing as..."

Reed paused. "Did Kane never..."

She shook her head. "He taught me basics...how to fight, how to read, how to heat up leftovers, but...once I knew enough to survive, all he focused on was finding a place where I'd be safe."

"I see." Reed muttered. "Then...how about...playing a video game?"

"Oh, is that the thing everyone does on their scrolls during class when they get bored?" She asked.

He chuckled. "Yes...yes it is. But, uh...we have a bigger screen set up in the dorms, so..."

"Cool! Let's do it!" She shouted.

Immediately, another student shushed her. "Hey, hey! This is library!"

"Oh...sorry." She giggled nervously.

The two returned to the dorms, where Reed set up a high-speed platformer featuring cartoonish Faunus. He spent some time teaching her the controls, before tagging in as her 2nd player. The two raced across impossibly shaped green hills, strange chemical plants, a floating island, and even a little planet where time shifted at random. They struggled to fight a massive water monster, and sang along with the soundtrack as their characters had to escape a city on skateboards. Hours passed as they mocked the poor story writing and glitchy mechanics in the later levels, and took turns designing increasingly ridiculous characters to play as in bonus stages. By the time they'd had their fill of the game, it was already dark. They shut the screens off, but decided to stay cuddled up together. There was something comforting about being close to someone you could trust.

"Hey, Nina?" Reed looked over to her. "You asked me before what I was looking for."

She nodded. "You looked...serious about it...I figured it was something important."

"I was...looking for...reasons...answers..." He explained.

Nina looked confused. "Answers to what?"

He sighed. "Joining the White Fang...helping Kane and Lizzie reform it."

She gasped. "Reed...no!"

He looked away. "And that's the reaction I was afraid of."

"That's...Reed..." She pulled him into a hug. "Reed, you don't understand. Their bad reputation doesn't come from nowhere...even Kane's group."

"I know...but...the more I look at things, the more I see how awful humans can be. There are some that are good people...that treat us as equals...but most see us as less than the animals we share traits with...they see us as if we're just as bad as the Grimm." He adjusted his glasses. "The fire that separated me and Lizzie...it wasn't started by one person...and sure, Alabaster may have been manipulating them, but it was still just normal people..."

Nina held him tighter. "Reed...have you ever killed anyone?"

"What?" He was shocked for a moment. "I...no..."

"Me either." She said. "And I never want to...that's why I didn't join the White Fang."

Reed hesitated. "Nina, I-"

"That's what they do, Reed!" She closed her eyes, hugging him as tightly as she could. "They kill people. Even Kane...even Lizzie. I've seen it, Reed. It's bloody and cruel, and...that's not you, Reed. You're kind...you care..." She opened her eyes to look into his. "This eye...isn't mine, Reed. It's not a Faunus eye...it's Human. I didn't get it in a hospital...Kane cut it out of someone, and used his semblance to put it in my head."

"I...didn't know." Reed hugged her back. "You're right...that isn't me...thank you."

She cried into his shoulder, as he wrapped his wings around her in a comforting embrace.


	35. Volume 2: Chapter 4

Melanie was at lunch, noticing the cafeteria was far more crowded than usual. She observed students in different uniforms sitting around, and eyed them cautiously.

"She's at it again." Reed muttered.

Crimson sighed. "Alright, which one looks suspicious this time?"

Melanie narrowed her gaze. "That team from Atlas...they're way too...unorthodox..."

"Melanie, just because the academy is run by a general doesn't mean every team will be strictly militaristic. Huntsmen and Huntresses are still a separate branch from the military." Crimson said.

"This is literally the perfect opportunity for someone to sneak in." Melanie stated. "Right now, anyone could walk in wearing the right uniform and nobody would notice. This is the only time where you could get away with not being recognized."

Reed raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think you're being just a little paranoid?"

"Alright, let me put it this way." She said. "Lizzie warned you to get your family out of Vale. Carl's clearly moving resources in preparation for something. Kane warned us that Adam was getting ready for something that was about to happen here, and do we even want to go into team RWBY's little skirmish with that Torchwick crook last semester?"

Crimson ran a hand through his hair, thinking it over. "When you put it like that...oh my gods..."

Melanie nodded. "All these pieces from different players, but they're all moving in the same direction at the same time. With everyone's attention on the Vytal Festival, it's the perfect opportunity."

"Atlas is running security." Reed pointed out. "Getting past their defenses doesn't seem feasible for organized crime, and dangerous as Adam Taurus is known to be, he's also crazy."

"No." Crimson muttered. "It's not just any one thing...like she said, it's different players all moving together...a synchronized strike could do it...and if Strikz is part of it..."

"We have to do something." Melanie stated.

Crimson sighed. "Melanie, you know we can't. Trust me, I want to more than anything."

"We can't just sit back and watch it happen!" Melanie protested. "We're training to be Huntsmen and Huntresses, this is literally our job."

Crimson shook his head. "No, it's the job of the Huntsmen and Huntresses that are already licensed, and if we managed to figure this out, so did they."

Melanie frowned. "Being older doesn't make them infallible."

"They're experienced." Crimson insisted.

"Yeah, well so is my dad." She said. "Adults aren't just better because they've been through more. They fuck up just as much as we do, but they think they can handle bigger stakes all on their own anyway, and it either kills them or leaves them broken, and we have to suffer through the fallout."

Crimson hesitated. "Melanie...look, I'm sorry, but...we can't do anything. We just have to focus on our training."

"Fine." She muttered. "But I don't have to like it.

Crimson leaned forward to look her in the eye. "If I find a way for us to help...I promise, we'll do it."

She met his gaze. "...thank you."


	36. Volume 2: Chapter 5

Nina was back in the cell...curled up in the corner and trying to rest. Blood dripped from her hollow eye socket, and everything felt cold. The door opened, and Carl stepped in, chuckling.

"Let me tell you, clawing that eye out was even more fun the second time." He taunted. "You should have seen your face when I crushed it. It was like I had your soul in my hands."

She looked up at him weakly, the air around her turning to frost. "St-stay back."

He only grinned wider. "That's right, you have a semblance now. You know, aura and semblance are really just parts of your soul...I could have your actual soul in my hands."

She gasped, as he lunged forward, grabbing her by the throat. His aura flared up, and she screamed, waking up. Nina panted for breath, looking around. She was in the dorms. She was safe. Her teammates jumped awake at the shriek, and Reed was the first one to her.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "Another nightmare?"

She nodded. "It was worse...he...he was there...it wasn't just memories, or seeing things, I felt it...I felt him-" She didn't even notice that she was crying until the tears fell on her blanket. "I...I can't...I can't keep reliving it..."

Reed pulled her into a hug, looking over at Crimson as he did. "We have to do something."

Crimson sighed. "Yeah...yeah, I know...Ozpin said Carl being brought down might give us closure, but that was last semester...we're already a quarter of the way through this one...what are they waiting on?"

"They're scared." Nina muttered. "He's too powerful...he has your company, he has Alabaster, his semblance, he...how do you fight that?"

"Take down what he has." Melanie said. "Hit him where it hurts. If he's planning something, disrupt the plan. If he needs something, keep it from him. As good of a fighter as he is or may be, when you take away his resources, he's just one guy."

"We need more intel." Crimson muttered. "We have pieces, but not enough to put the puzzle together."

Nina looked up. "Kane...if anyone knows it's him."

Crimson folded his arms. "That...might work. Nina, can you go to him? Ask for his help?"

She nodded. "Yeah, probably. He wants Carl taken down as much as any of us."

"Good...then let's get ready...we're not waiting any longer." He stated. "This time, he's the one that gets to hurt."

* * *

Nina entered the White Fang camp, heading straight for the main tent. Several members looked up at her, but none intercepted. Lizzie appeared right in front of Nina just before she reached the tent.

"You have to stop coming here." She said.

Nina shook her head. "Strikz...we need information on him, information that you and Kane have."

Lizzie scoffed. "What, so you can arrest him?"

"So we can hurt him." Nina said. "He's too powerful...we need to take down his resources, his projects, whatever is important to him right now."

Lizzie paused. "You want to back him into a corner..."

Nina nodded. "Whatever happens after that, happens. If the teachers arrest him, or you kill him, or he runs away, I don't care, but I want him gone."

Lizzie grinned. "Does this mean you're joining us."

"No." Nina stated. "I still want to be a Huntress...but that doesn't make us enemies. If we both care about making things better, we should work together."

"I couldn't agree more." Kane said, stepping out of the tent. "But that doesn't change the fact that what you're doing is against the law. Are you sure you wanna go through with that?"

"Yes." Nina affirmed. "Crimson's coming up with a plan...we just need to know what to target."

Kane grinned. "Alright...saturday, meet here."

Nina smiled. "Thanks."

"We're helping each other." He said. "That's what matters."

* * *

Saturday came, and the team arrived at the camp. Lizzie led them to the main tent, where Kane had plans laid out.

"First thing's first." He stated. "I have to know what this means to each of you. You may have your moral reasons for this, but you have personal ones too. All cards need to be on the table."

Crimson nodded. "He was behind my father's death."

"So you want revenge?" Kane asked.

Crimson paused. "Yes."

"Good." Kane said. "Revenge is a powerful motivator. Use it, but don't let it control you."

"He separated me from my sister." Reed said, looking over to Lily. "I don't want anyone else to go through the pain we did."

"Guardianship." Kane observed. "You want to protect people. Focus that on your team, cover their backs, and trust them to cover yours."

Melanie folded her arms. "He's a piece of shit that does nothing but hurt people, and yeah, that includes me, so I want him brought down."

Kane grinned. "Justice? Less personal, but still good. You're gonna stay on task."

Nina took a deep breath. "I'm tired of being scared...I'm tired of waiting for things to get better or worse...I want to do something about it."

Kane eyed her. "Conviction...hold to that, Nina. If you can hold on, you won't be scared anymore." He looked around at the four of them. "Alright. Let's talk strategy."


	37. Volume 2: Chapter 6

Crimson approached the loading bay of the RedOwl building, having changed outfits and zipped up his jacket, both to protect from the cold, and to be less recognizable. He had a communicator in his ear, as did the rest of the team, so they could all stay in touch. Melanie followed behind him, dressed in a trench coat and fedora.

"You know...my mom had an outfit like that." He commented. "It was red, but...well, it still looks like her."

Melanie paused. "I...didn't know."

"It...looks nice on you." He said.

He looked over to the loading bay, doing a quick scan with his visor. Several guards were highlighted in red.

Satisfied, Crimson reached for his earpiece. "Melanie and I are in position. I count ten guards patrolling the outside."

Meanwhile, Kane and Nina were on the roof of an adjacent building. Both were dressed like contract mechanics, wearing padded clothes, goggles, and vests.

"Can you get us across?" Kane asked.

Nina nodded. "Just stick close. If we want the ice to disappear in time, I can't make it too strong."

Kane reached for his own earpiece. "Nina and I are ready."

Inside the building, Reed and Lizzie sat in a waiting room, both dressed very formally, as if there for a business meeting. Reed checked the time on his scroll, and right when the minute turned, he stood and reached for his earpiece.

"Cameras are on loop. Let's get moving." He stated.

Lizzie teleported them into the hall, and they made their way to the loading bay. Back on the roof, Nina made an ice slide for her and Kane to reach the RedOwl building, rushing over to the cargo lift. Crimson and Melanie rushed the guards at the loading bay, springing into action with coordinated attacks to swiftly take them down in a matter of seconds. Reed and Lizzie arrived just in time to stop any alarms from being triggered, as Nina and Kane arrived on the cargo lift.

"We start at the bottom." Kane said. "Look for any captives they might have, get them out. We can continue on from there."

The others all nodded, going to the cargo lift. As it descended, they checked their weapons, preparing for a surprise encounter.

"Alright, remember, the whole point of this is being covert." Crimson stated. "Alabaster is our biggest threat. If we see him, we clear out."

Everyone seemed to agree, staying wary of what was to come. When the elevator came to a stop, they filed out, checking the halls for coming patrols. Seeing none, they began to check the cells. The first few were empty...then the next few...the entire first hall, in fact...

"This isn't right." Lizzie said. "Nobody's here."

Nina frowned. "He always had...others. I could hear them scream, I know there were more."

Melanie paused. "Listen...no footsteps, there are no guards on this floor."

"Check the next floor." Crimson said. "Lizzie, keep going up until you find a floor with someone on it."

She disappeared without a word, while the others made their way back to the elevator. One they were all ready, Lizzie reappeared.

"There's a lab ten floors up." Lizzie stated. "Everything below that is empty holding cells."

"That can't be right." Kane muttered. "My intel was solid."

"We go to the lab." Crimson said. "Someone there might know something."

As the lift climbed, Kane began pacing. "I know my sources, they wouldn't botch this...whatever happened had to have been recent."

Lizzie sighed. "Kane...we have to consider that he disposed of them."

"Disposed..." Nina's eyes widened.

"Don't sugarcoat it." Melanie stated. "He had them killed to cover his tracks. It's a lot easier to make someone disappear if they're already dead."

Crimson shook his head. "We don't know that for certain. Let's not jump to any conclusions yet."

"We still have to account for everything." Reed said. "We should take the moment to prepare ourselves for the possibility."

The group went silent, taking it in. When the lift reached its stop, they were ready. The six of them swept out, taking the guards down in a matter of seconds. The teams of engineers watched with bewilderment as security was overwhelmed by the sudden attack.

"Are those...Huntsmen?" One asked.

"We're saved!" Another shouted.

Crimson looked around at the groups. The engineers looked tired and overworked. Their clothes and hair were disheveled, and their work stations were disorganized.

"You were all working here against your will." Crimson observed. "The Faunus weren't the only prisoners here."

The engineer shook his head. "He used them as test subjects for the designs we made...we never saw the results, but...we always received detailed reports on what was wrong."

"What happened to them?" Kane asked. "Why are they all gone?"

Another engineer stepped forward. "We were getting ready to move...they didn't tell us where, but they've been transferring us to another site gradually."

Melanie frowned. "There were trucks leaving as we arrived."

"We have to catch them." Crimson stated. "Kane, Lizzie, get these engineers out of here. We'll track down those trucks."

"No way." Lizzie protested. "I can make it there faster than any of you."

"You can't shadow travel mid-air." Kane pointed out. "Your semblance is better suited to getting these people out of here."

"Fine." She conceded. "You four better not botch this."

"We won't." Reed assured.

CRMN headed back to the lift, riding it up to the loading bay. As they did, Reed pulled his scroll out, attempting to access RedOwl's shipping manifests.

"Says a truck was loaded with spare parts, it's en route to Atlas apparently." He observed.

Crimson pressed a command on his scroll to summon his bike. "Mel, you ride with me. Reed, go high along the route until you find it. Nina, try and stay low, keep off the streets." Reed flew off and Nina skated away, as the bike slid to a stop in front of Crimson. "Mel, you know how to drive?" He tossed her the keys.

"What?! Crimson, I live on the streets, I've never even ridden a bicycle!" She protested.

"Keep your feet on the braces, tilt the handles to throttle, pull the grip to brake, and lean to turn." He said. "You'll get the hang of it." She sat uncertainly on the bike, and Crimson took a seat behind her. "The GPS tracks all our scrolls, so try to follow Reed."

"Right." She said. "Feet on the braces, tilt the handles to throttle."

She pulled on the handle, and screamed as the bike shot forward. Meanwhile, Reed flew over the roads, looking for the right truck. He spotted one with the RedOwl logo, and began flying closer to it.

"I see it." He spoke into his earpiece. "What do I do?"

"Force it off-road." Crimson ordered. "Somewhere with less people around, we want to minimize collateral damage."

"I can keep it from crashing into anything." Nina said.

"Good, we're almost there." Crimson informed.

The red motorcycle zoomed down the road, gaining on the truck. Melanie managed to swerve through traffic, catching up to it rather quickly. Once they were close enough, Crimson leaped off the motorcycle onto the roof of the truck.

"Reed, do it now!" He ordered.

A bullet hit the front passenger side tire, popping it and causing the truck to swerve. Melanie extended a water whip from Violet Cross, tethering to the back of the truck so as not to lose it. When the truck hit the side of the road, it bounced up, crashing through the barrier before plummeting to the ground below. However, Nina slid by, forming a track of ice to lead the truck into a safe landing, and bringing it to a stop. As soon as it did, Crimson opened the passenger side door, and swung through, kicking the driver out of the vehicle. A moment later, the back of the truck began opening up. The four rushed over to look inside. As light came into the truck, they saw the unmistakable figures of Faunus, beaten and shackled, crammed inside the truck in uncomfortable numbers.

"Come on, let's get them out of there." Crimson said.

A chuckle came from behind them. "Yeah, that's not happening. But I'm glad you four showed up."

They turned to see Zachariah Alabaster staring them down. He grinned, drawing his gun and aiming it straight at Crimson. Before he had a chance to fire, Nina rushed in, slamming into him and forming claws of ice around her fingers, using them to slash away at him wildly.

"You poisoned me!" She shouted.

His aura blocked the hits, and he knocked her away with a pistol whip. "This time, I'm gonna do worse."

He fired a shot, but Melanie deflected it with Violet Cross. "I'm not letting you. Not this time."

Reed came in from behind Alabaster with a slash that flared his aura and knocked him forward. Alabaster went with the moment to turn and fire at Reed, who dodged the shots easily.

"Your cheap tricks may have been enough to take us individually, but you're out of your element now." Reed stated.

Crimson extended Fyrebeat's blades and stood by his teammates. "Face it Alabaster, even with your Semblance, you can't take the four of us together."

"I've got no reason to hold back this time...and every reason to go for the kill." He flicked his wrist, and the pistol folded out into a long dagger.

Alabaster dashed forward, slashing straight at Crimson. Crossing his blades to block the attack, he leveraged his legs and pushed forward to throw Alabaster off-balance. Seeing this, Reed came in for a slash at his feet. Instead, Alabaster backflipped, switching back to his gun and firing at the now prone Reed, but Nina stepped in the way with a shield of ice, before spinning and hurling the shield at Zachariah. He landed and slashed through it with his dagger, but a stream of flame was already headed his way. As he rolled to the side, Melanie came in to hit him while he was down. Energy dust lit up his blade as he blocked Violet cross, but Melanie just twisted the blade to the side and caught Alabaster with a kick to the ribs. He crashed into the ground with a grunt, his aura flaring up again, before he rolled up and began firing at Nina, who dodged the shots with a limbo slide and sprang up to kick Alabaster in the jaw. Seeing he was being surrounded, he growled...until he spotted the truck. With a laugh, he fired right into the fuel line.

"No!" Nina shouted.

The fireball burst out of the tank, but...stopped there. Crimson had his hand outstretched, aura glowing in rhythm with the flames, and clearly straining.

"Hurry! I can't hold it for long!" Crimson shouted.

Reed and Melanie immediately rushed into the truck, freeing the Faunus and telling them to run. Nina slid over and began freezing the pulsing ball of flame Crimson had contained.

"Everyone's out!" Reed stated.

"Get back!" Crimson ordered. "Nina, I need you to put as much cold into it as you can!"

His hand was already starting to shake, aura flickering. Reed flew to a safe distance, and Melanie ran over to Crimson.

"I didn't know you could stop an explosion." She said.

Crimson grimaced. "Neither did I."

His aura dropped, and the explosion was released, smashing the casing of ice apart, but it seemed to be much smaller than what it otherwise would have been. Crimson collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily. Then, he started laughing. Melanie grinned and helped him up, reaching to her earpiece.

"Kane, we did it." She informed. "No casualties."

"How many did you rescue?" He asked.

Reed stepped over, reaching for his own earpiece. "I counted twenty."

Kane was silent for a moment. "There were twenty cells per floor...we don't know how many were filled, but..."

"They'd already been moved out." Nina cut in. "We saved who we could...and when Carl is convicted, maybe the others can be saved too."

"All the engineers are out." Lizzie stated. "I think it's safe to call this mission a success."

"Hey, you four should get back to Beacon." Kane said. "You did good, all of you."

"Thanks." Crimson replied. "Take care, man."


	38. Volume 2: Chapter 7

Crimson plopped down on his bed with a sigh, tugging the tie on his uniform to loosen it. Class had just ended for the day, and despite the upcoming Vytal Festival, the work load had not eased up at all. Melanie sat beside Crimson, not looking near as exhausted as him.

"So...nobody seems to have noticed our excursion." Melanie said.

Crimson chuckled. "That's a good thing. As long as things stay quiet, it means the police are trying to hide what they have...not that it matters, Alabaster will have reported back to Carl."

"Hey, regardless of anything else, we saved all those people. You can feel good about that." She insisted.

"Yeah, we did...but..." He looked down. "We had to lie about it. We had to sneak around, we had to break the rules..."

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"The rules are there for reasons, Mel. If we have to break them, doesn't that make us just as bad?" Crimson asked.

"No, it doesn't." Melanie said. "Yeah, the rules are there for reasons, but then assholes like Carl and Alabaster manipulate them for their own purposes...fighting evil is never the wrong thing to do, hotshot. Rules aren't perfect, sometimes you can't always trust them...you just have to trust yourself."

Crimson smiled. "Thanks."

"Now are we gonna celebrate or what?" Melanie asked.

"Celebrate?" Crimson questioned.

She nodded. "Those two are still studying, but you deserve to enjoy yourself a little. You helped a lot of people. It was your idea to go to Kane, when the plan didn't work you were the one to adapt, and you managed to hold back that explosion."

"You really think I deserve a reward?" Crimson gave a skeptical glance.

"Yeah." She said. "Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely gonna get payback for making me drive...but, it was a little fun."

Crimson grinned. "Alright, got any ideas?"

Melanie cupped her chin for a moment. "Well, we haven't had dinner yet...how about we ditch sparring and go eat out?"

"I can get behind that." Crimson agreed.

* * *

The two sat in a street corner cafe, snacking on chili fries, and drinking coffee that it was probably way too late to be having. Melanie looked out at the sky. The sunset had given it a purple hue, save for the deep red of the horizon.

"Yeah, I needed this." Crimson said. "Feels like it's been forever since I just...relaxed and enjoyed the moment."

Melanie shrugged. "Things have actually been calmer for me since enrolling at Beacon...I guess, growing up like I did, I learned to enjoy what I could, or those moments would slip away from me."

Crimson looked at her for a moment. "So, on the topic of celebrations and all that...the Vytal Festival's coming up."

"Yeah, lots of fighting...except this time we don't have to worry about dying." Melanie observed.

"That's true." Crimson chuckled. "But I wasn't just talking about the tournament. There's also the ball coming up."

"What, are you suggesting we should spike the punch bowl?" Melanie sipped on her coffee to hide a grin.

Crimson shook his head. "No, I just...was wondering if you wanted to go with me."

Melanie did a spit take, coughing for a moment. "What?!"

"I, uh...wanted to go with you." Crimson repeated nervously.

"I..." Melanie blinked, before looking away. "Crimson, I...I'm not going."

"You're not going? Why?" Crimson asked.

She sighed. "Do I really seem like the party scene to you?"

"I...I just..." Crimson paused. "It's not about the party...it's about you."

Melanie stood and shook her head. "Don't take it personally...I have my reasons for being guarded...trust me, you're better off finding someone else."

With that, Melanie walked out, leaving Crimson in the cafe. He didn't try to follow, not knowing if it would make things worse...he just sat there, not knowing what do.


	39. Volume 2: Chapter 8

Reed and Nina sat together at lunch, still studying together. Thankfully, the two were neat enough not to get food on their books, but there was a lot of content Nina had to catch up on.

"You're picking up on all of this pretty quickly." Reed complimented.

Nina smiled. "Thanks...and, uh...thank you for doing this. I got in on the combat skills Kane taught me, but...if it weren't for you, I would have flunked my academics a long time ago."

"It's the least I can do." Reed said. "It would be wrong for you to be held back because you never got to experience the world."

Nina leaned into him. "You're a good friend, you know that?"

Reed let himself smile a little. "I try."

They continued going over notes for a while, before Nina thought of a question. "So, there's that party thing happening soon, right?"

"You mean the Vytal Ball?" Reed asked without looking up. "More like a dance than a party."

Nina giggled nervously. "Yeah, about that...I don't really know how to dance."

Reed blinked, turning to look at her. "Is this...going somewhere?"

"I...well...in case someone asks me...I'd like to know how...and since you've been teaching me things..." Nina scratched the back of her head as she stumbled around her request.

"Are you...expecting someone to ask? Someone in particular?" Reed questioned.

She shrugged. "I guess just hoping...but I'd like to be prepared anyways."

Reed nodded. "Alright, I suppose I could teach you...I'll have to work it into the study schedule...how about during sparring time? They've been allowing it as practicing footwork."

"Sounds great!" Nina beamed.

* * *

"You're watching your feet again." Reed said.

Nina's cheeks reddened as her eyes shot up. "S-sorry! I just keep thinking I'm going to trip or step on you or both or kick your leg or-"

"Hey, hey, it's okay. This is why we're practicing." Reed said.

His left hand was intertwined with her right, his right hand at her waist, and her left on his shoulder. The two were slowly stepping in a small circle, though Nina's movements were clearly tense and awkward compared to the practiced composure of Reed.

"Think of it like your CQC footwork." Reed said. "Fighting is like its own dance. You always face your partner, moving in tandem with them."

"Right." Nina muttered. "Okay, I just need to trust my movements and keep my eyes on you."

She took a deep breath, gaining a little more confidence in her movements. The pace quickened just a little as Nina began to flow more naturally.

"There you go, you're getting the hang of it." Reed said.

Nina gave a happy chuckle. "Thanks to you."

Reed smiled. "Happy to help. Here's hoping that guy asks, that way this doesn't go to waste."

"Yeah..." Nina looked down. "Here's hoping."

"You're watching your feet." Reed stated.

Nina's head popped back up again with another blush. "Sorry!"

Reed chuckled. "Come on, let's try another dance."


	40. Volume 2: Chapter 9

Melanie walked into the run-down warehouse that had been her home for as long as she could remember. As she walked through the building, her foot bumped into a glass bottle. She crouched down to pick it up, examining it. It was a bottle of liquor...completely empty...and clean. It hadn't been laying there for long, even the stench of alcohol was still fresh. She stood up, scowling, before chucking the bottle with an angry scream. It shattered against a crate, fragments of glass flying everywhere. Moments later, the door to the upstairs room was kicked open, and her dad stepped out.

"Who's there?!" He shouted, looking around.

His eyes landed on her, and he sighed, relaxing. Rubbing his disheveled hair, he walked down the stairs.

"Sorry, kiddo. You startled me there." He stated. "What was with that howl anyway?"

Melanie scoffed. "Oh, so now you care what's going on with me?"

Phillip paused. "Yeah, I deserve that."

"You're not blacked out yet." Melanie observed.

"I've been...limiting myself." He said. "I just...if you get in trouble again...if something happened to you, I'd have nothing left, Melanie."

Her expression softened. "Don't worry about me, dad. You should take care of yourself."

"Kid, I know I'm a shitty dad, but I care about you. What's wrong?" He asked.

Melanie sat down on a crate, looking down. "The Vytal Ball's coming up."

"So this is relationship troubles then?" Phillip questioned.

"No...yes...sort of...he asked me out, and I said no." Melanie took her hat off and shook her hair free.

Phillip raised an eyebrow. "Do you like him?"

"Yes...I tried not to, but...yes, I do." Melanie admitted.

Phillip sat down as well. "Then why?"

"Because he's..." Melanie grit her teeth. "Because he's Crimson Dram."

"He's..." Phillip's eyes widened. "Oh...Melanie...are you...trying to protect me?"

"Yes!" She shouted. "Yes, I am!"

He stood. "Melanie, I'm not worth it."

"Bullshit!" She put her hat back on and stood to look him in the eye. "I don't give a damn about what you've done or how you feel, you're my dad. You're the only family I have, and that means you are more important to me than anything else."

Phillip sighed. "Don't throw away a chance to be happy...Melanie, if you really like him, that's more important. Go to that dance, enjoy yourself...don't let that moment slip away from you."

* * *

Crimson sat in the engineering lab, tinkering with his scrollglasses. He was delicately connecting the wiring to the light-up display, when he heard someone taking a seat next to him.

"Hey, can we talk?" Melanie asked.

"Juuuust a sec." Crimson said, attaching the last wire. "And there." He leaned back, screwing all the pieces back together. "What did you wanna talk about?"

Melanie took a deep breath. "So...the Vytal Ball...do you still want to go?"

He paused, looking over. "You mean...with you?"

"I..." Melanie's gaze fell on the faint scar beside Crimson's eye. "...yes."

"What changed your mind?" He asked.

Melanie sighed. "Remember what I said about enjoying the good moments while you can? I guess I needed to listen to my own advice."

Crimson smiled. "Well, Melanie Lemay, it would be my honor to go to the dance with you."

"I still need to steal a dress." Melanie muttered.

Crimson cleared his throat. "What was that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine, I'll just steal the money to buy one." After a moment, she giggled. "Relax, hotshot. I'm joking. I should be able to figure something out."

Crimson gave a chuckle. "See you at the dance then?"

"Yeah." Melanie smiled. "And Crimson...thank you."


	41. Volume 2: Chapter 10

"So...why do we have to do this again?" Nina asked.

Melanie sighed. "You want to look nice for the dance, right?" Nina nodded. "That means wearing nice clothes. You can't go in you school uniform, and our gear's designed for combat."

"But...why?" Nina questioned.

"It's...a formality, I guess. Dances like this are seen as a romantic thing, so people want to look good for whoever they're trying to impress. The guys will be grooming, shaving, and trying to find clothes with colors that actually look good together to make them seem more handsome. On the same notion, girls like us try to look more beautiful. Whether it's hair styling, makeup, or wearing a dress that complements their figure." Melanie explained.

* * *

Crimson and Reed were having their measurements taken for their own suits. Reed's wings were, as usual, presenting somewhat of a challenge.

"So, you and Melanie are going together." Reed observed.

Crimson grinned. "Yeah. She almost didn't agree, but...she changed her mind at the last minute. Do you have a date?"

Reed shook his head. "No, but I plan on going anyway. I'm used to standing next to the punch bowl at things like this."

"That's...surprising." Crimson said. "I thought you already had a date."

Reed raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

* * *

"So, have you asked Reed yet?" Melanie wondered.

Nina's face went red. "What? I...why him, specifically? Is...is it that obvious?"

Melanie sighed. "You two are always together."

"He helps me study!" Nina protested.

"Any of us could help you study." Melanie stated. "And when you do get help from us, you're not leaning on our shoulders and swishing your tail around."

Nina sighed. "No, I haven't asked him...I was hoping he'd ask me, and...I just...I keep wondering what if he doesn't feel the same."

Melanie rolled her eyes. "If you want to find out, you have to make that leap. Now come on, I need a second opinion on this."

* * *

"Dude, Nina likes you." Crimson stated.

"She likes you and Melanie too." Reed said.

Crimson sighed. "She's not asking me and Melanie for dance lessons."

Reed gave a skeptical look. "Okay, so she's a little closer to me, but she told me there was someone she already wanted to go to the dance with."

"Did she say who?" Crimson asked.

Reed paused. "...no..."

"And, was she blushing when she said it?" Crimson continued.

"...yes..." Reed answered.

"Did she keep avoiding eye contact?" Crimson pressed.

Reed blinked. "...yeah, I'm an idiot."

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Melanie asked.

She was holding up the dress that had been made for her. Nina was eyeing it nervously.

"Um...it...doesn't cover a lot." Nina stated.

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "Really? I tried to go modest with this."

"So...they normally show more skin than that?" Nina asked.

"Well, it varies." Melanie said. "Typically the arms are pretty bare, and showing some of the chest is pretty common too. There are some with open backs, and slit skirts to show your legs."

Nina hugged her arms, stepping back a bit. "I'm not so sure about this."

Melanie gave her a concerned look. "Is something wrong?"

* * *

"So, you're going to ask her, right?" Crimson questioned.

Reed sighed. "I mean...I want to, but...how? It's going to be so awkward now."

"Reed, you like her, right?" Crimson asked.

"Of course I do!" Reed said. "But...I don't want to mess this up. She's been through enough bad experiences, I don't want to get anything wrong with the good ones."

"You won't." Crimson encouraged. "Just...be yourself. That's who she likes."

Reed frowned. "You know how cheesy that sounds, right?"

Crimson chuckled. "Doesn't make it any less true."

* * *

"I'm not comfortable showing my body like that." Nina said.

Melanie sat next to Nina. "It's not indecent, Nina. It's okay to let loose a little."

"It's not that." Nina stated. "I...he won't like what he sees."

"Nina, you're beautiful. Every part of you." Melanie insisted.

Nina shook her head. "No...I'm not." Her eyes were beginning to water.

"Why are you saying that?" Melanie asked. "I'm looking at you right now, and-"

"-and you're wrong!" Nina interrupted "Is this beautiful?!" She held up her bangs to show her scarred eye. "Are these?!" She rolled up a sleeve to show the scars along her arm. "Is this?!" She pulled the collar of her shirt down to show a scar across her throat. "Maybe I would have been, but he took that from me!" The tears began to flow down her face as she looked Melanie in the eye. "There's not a part of me where he didn't leave a mark! My body is just a collection of all his hate! I'm not beautiful, I'm broken!"

Melanie paused, not knowing what to say. Silently, she pulled Nina into a hug, letting her teammate cry into her shoulder.

"...I'm sorry." Melanie muttered. "...what if I helped you cover the worst?"

Nina looked up from her sniffling. "...okay..."

* * *

Later that day, the four met up at the dorms. Nina had managed to clear up her face, not showing any signs of her previous breakdown. Reed was managing to hide the embarrassment and shame from how oblivious he'd been. The two both approached each other.

"Um...could I ask you something?" Nina nodded to the door.

Reed nodded. "Yeah, I needed to talk to you too."

They stepped out, shut the door, and immediately blurted out the same sentence. "Will you go to the dance with me?"

There was a pause, as they each registered what the other had said. Reed gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head.

"I guess...that answers that." He stated.

Nina suddenly wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "...thank you...thank you so much."

He hugged back, a little confused. "Wow...this meant a lot to you, huh?"

"You mean a lot to me." She said. "I mean...you feeling the same way...means a lot."

"I get it." Reed stated with a smile. "The only reason I didn't ask sooner was because I was just as worried as you."

Nina looked up at him. "Funny how things work like that."

"Yeah...yeah it is." Reed agreed.


	42. Volume 2: Chapter 11

Melanie leaned against the entrance to the cafeteria, waiting. She was in a simple purple gown, with platform heels and her mother's necklace. Her hair was done up in a braid for more elaborate than what she normally did. One hand rested at her hip, the other dangling by her side. She'd gotten there early, so she wasn't annoyed at how long she'd been waiting just yet. She spotted Reed, dressed in a blue tux and looking ever the image of composure and formality.

"Sup?" She asked.

"Wanted to greet Nina at the entrance." He explained. "You?"

She shrugged. "Waiting for Crimson."

As soon as she said it, she spotted him over Reed's shoulder. She stepped past, looking him up and down. Crimson was in a dark suit with a red shirt and grey tie. His hair was still spiky and unkempt, but for once he wasn't wearing his scrollglasses. For a brief moment she regarded his scar, before banishing it from her mind and looking straight into his eyes.

"You're late." She teased.

He rolled his eyes. "Please, you were probably here before it even started."

"So?" She raised an eyebrow.

After a moment, they both cracked up and started laughing. Interlocking arms, they walked in, leaving Reed outside. He didn't wait long, as he soon saw Nina arriving. She was in a beautifully intricate black dress, with yellow trim. She wore silver flats and dark tights, as well as some form of netted sleeve that covered her arms and hands. Her hair was brushed in a way that covered her left eye. The more Reed looked at it, the more he realized That Nina's face was about the only thing that wasn't covered.

"H-hey." She greeted. "You look nice."

"Thanks, you too." Reed replied, deciding not to question her decision. "Shall we?"

Nina nodded, and the two held hands as they entered. Yang Xiao Long greeted them at the door, making a few quips before letting them through. Inside, the cafeteria was packed. A disco ball and fog machines had been set up, certainly setting the mood. Crimson and Melanie had gone straight to the dance floor, and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.

"Enjoying yourself?" Crimson asked.

Melanie grinned. "You know it."

Crimson smiled in return. "Hey, so...if you don't mind my asking...why did you not want to go with me before?"

Melanie paused. "I...was scared...I thought I might hurt you."

"Hurt me?" Crimson questioned.

"It's...complicated." Melanie sighed. "I have secrets, Crimson. Secrets I'm never going to share, and I have reasons for that...I don't want that to make you feel...less."

Crimson looked her in the eye. "I won't pry into your secrets, Mel. If you ever feel comfortable sharing them, then I'll listen. If not, then that's fine. It's you I care about."

Meanwhile, Nina seemed to be actively avoiding dancing, using any excuse to get out of it. She mingled with the others, she went to get punch, she made nervous conversation, until finally, Reed was too worried not to ask her about it.

"Is something wrong?" He gave her a concerned look.

Nina paused, looking as if she was about to make another excuse...but then her shoulders and ears sank in defeat. She sighed, setting her drink down.

"I don't deserve you." She muttered.

Reed raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"No, that's not right, it's..." She hugged her sides. "I know why you're doing this...to make me feel better. Because of everything I've been through, you want me to be happy, but...that means you're stuck with a broken mess...and I want to be more than that, but it's always going to be there. I can't undo all the things that happened to me."

Reed placed his hands on her shoulders. "Nina...look at me."

She looked up, and he stared into her eye. Then, his hand reached up to brush the hair away from her other eye...and the scar running across it. He looked at it for a moment, then past it, into her eyes, and smiled. His wings wrapped around them for a moment, and while they were concealed, he leaned in and gave her a kiss. When it ended, Nina's face was red, and her mouth hung open in shock.

"If you're more comfortable hiding your scars from the world, that's fine...but you don't have to hide yourself from me." He stated. "Of course I want you to be happy, especially with all that's happened...that doesn't change how I feel about you."

Nina smiled wide, still looking a little nervous, but definitely happier. "So, wanna dance?"

"Gladly." Reed offered his hand, and led Nina out to the dance floor.

The party went on, and the four enjoyed the rest of the night in peace. When the ball was over, they were exhausted from dancing, and happy to get back to the dorms. Melanie claimed the first shower, leaving Crimson to plop down on his bed as he waited his turn. Meanwhile, Nina and Reed were snuggling up to each other a bit more openly now. Crimson didn't pay it much mind at first, until they started kissing.

"So, you two had a good night then?" He asked.

Nina squeaked and blushed, hiding her face. Reed just sighed, but still couldn't stop smiling.

"Yeah, we did." He adjusted his glasses. "You?"

Crimson shrugged. "Pretty much, though I don't seem to be as far along as you."

Reed rolled his eyes. "I took a leap of faith."

He smiled at Nina, who hugged him tightly. "I'm glad you did."

That was all that needed to be said, as the night finally came to a close.


	43. Volume 2: Chapter 12

"Today we stand together, united. Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. The four Kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. And as you are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither were the generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it. As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the Kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best." Ozpin concluded his speech, stepping away as the students began to approach the mission boards.

"You know, it might sound weird considering what we've done already, but I'm pretty excited for our first mission." Crimson stated.

Melanie shrugged. "I'm actually hoping this is calmer than our other little adventures."

"We'll be shadowing a Huntsman this time." Reed mentioned. "If things get bad, we'll have someone experienced on-hand."

"Guys, come on, let's pick something before all the good ones are gone!" Nina cut in.

Crimson chuckled, stepping up to enter their team name into the console. When he did, an alert flashed onscreen.

"What's up with that?" Reed asked.

Crimson read the message. "It's saying we're already registered for a mission...investigating a black site just outside of the kingdom...and our airship's ready to go."

"Does it say who we're shadowing?" Melanie questioned.

"No, just to meet him at the airship." Crimson stated. "Let's get going."

They headed out to find Richard waiting for them. He seemed to be in the middle of a scroll call.

"You're heading out? Alright, my team arrived, we'll be leaving soon too. See you there." He put the scroll away, turning to them. "Save your questions until we're in the air. You have all your gear?"

Crimson nodded. "Are we ready to leave?"

"Just waiting on one thing." Richard stated, nodding behind them.

Crimson turned to see his bike being wheeled over and brought onto the ship. A few other supplies were being loaded as well.

"We need the four of you at your best for this." Richard explained. "Come on, the others are waiting on us."

They boarded the airship, remaining silent until it had taken off. Crimson exchanged glances with his teammates as he judged what to ask.

"Who are we meeting up with?" He decided on.

"Two other student teams also shadowing professional Huntsmen. We tried to get more, but not everyone we wanted was available. One of them was already difficult to get on-board." Richard informed.

Crimson paused. "So everyone on this mission was selected, nobody volunteered?"

"That's correct." Richard said. "Discretion, skillset, and numbers are critical to this mission. Once we land, we also have two contacts on the ground that will take us to the facility."

"And what is the mission?" Crimson asked.

Richard looked down at his holstered tonfa-pistol for a moment. "Infiltrate the site...free any prisoners, disable any threats, and arrest Carl Strikz." He drew the weapon, checking the ammo. "If he resists, and believe me, he will...use any means to ensure the safety of yourself and your teammates. I want to make that clear, protecting your team, and that means everyone on this mission, not just your assigned team, is the top priority. Whatever we see in there, every one of us becomes a witness, we can't afford to lose anyone."

"Is there anything else we should know?" Crimson continued.

Richard nodded. "Aside from the Shade and Haven students, everyone on this mission is someone you know. You can trust every person here, the other students included."

The airship landed next to two other identical ones, just outside a large forested area. Nina peered at the area curiously, looking at the trees rather than the ships or people gathered.

"I've been here before." She muttered.

Crimson stepped out of the ship, looking at the others gathered. He didn't recognize the students, but the Huntsmen...those were some familiar faces.

"Steph!" He waved at Stephanie Shaden, hurrying over. "I guess I should've expected you to show up." The other person he saw he'd never actually met, but he knew who it was from old pictures and avid descriptions. "I take it you're Phillip Lemay?"

The man looked at Crimson for a moment, seeming almost expressionless. Crimson's visor, however, picked up signs of shock.

"You're...Johnny's kid?" He asked.

Crimson nodded, offering his hand to shake. "Crimson Dram."

Phillip shook it slowly. "Your dad...he was a good Huntsman."

"Thanks." Crimson said. "I just...wish I'd known him longer."

"He'd be proud." Phillip almost seemed to have blurted it out. "I...Melanie told me about you...team leader, engineer, and..." He sighed. "I miss your dad, kid...he was a good friend." He gave Crimson a pat on the shoulder. "Be good for my daughter, alright? She cares about you."

"I'll do my best." Crimson said. "I was told we had two contacts down here?"

"They're creeping around in the trees over there." Phillip stated. "Probably think they're hidden."

All of a sudden, Lizzie appeared in front of Phillip. "You knew!?"

He cleared his throat, and she realized his wrist blade was only inches from her throat. "Word to the wise, kid. Don't sneak up on an ally like that."

She took a step back, her indignance completely overtaken by shock. "When did-"

"As you were appearing." He interrupted. "By reflex. Think on that for a while."

He retracted the blade and walked off. Lizzie rubbed the side of her neck nervously.

"That's your girlfriend's dad?" She quipped.

"Yeah..." Crimson replied. "Wait, how do you know about that?"

"Reed called me last night." She answered. "We're siblings, we talk."

Kane stepped out from the treeline with a sigh. "Thankfully, she didn't tell him about this operation. Sorry, but as your guardian has no doubt mentioned, discretion is critical here."

"How did you find out about this facility?" Crimson asked.

Kane scowled. "It's where I found Nina."

Crimson glanced at Nina exiting the ship for a moment. "That's why she recognized this area."

"We had a camp here at the time." Kane explained. "The facility is a ways off, I was lucky to find her when I did." Kane looked up at the sky for a moment. "Come on, we need to get the leaders together and plan our attack...we're moving out tomorrow."

"Right." Crimson followed Kane to the main group, already running a few ideas through his head.


	44. Volume 2: Chapter 13

The next morning, the team woke up early, gearing up for the coming battle. Once they were ready, Crimson briefed them.

"To keep anyone from having to handle too much, we're only giving out the key details of the plan." He explained. "The facility's grown in the last year, some kind of large extension, and we have no intel on what's going on inside there. I'll be trying to find a backdoor in this extension. Reed, your job is to fly up to the roof of the building, disable what systems you can, and find a way inside from there. Melanie, one of the airships will drop you and a few other stealth-inclined members in the woods, you'll all have different targets, but with the same goal in mind. Sneak in, find as much dirt as you can, and see what damage you can do from the inside. Nina, you're going to be part of the main assault. Storm the front door, make as big a ruckus as you can, wreak havoc. It'll give the rest of us cover to complete our missions."

Reed paused. "What about Lizzie?"

"She's..." Crimson stopped himself. "She has her own task to handle."

"Crimson, she's my sister." Reed insisted.

"I know." He stated. "But we have to keep this compartmentalized...Reed, we don't know what we're up against, and we need everyone focused. We're going to be getting status reports and giving new orders, we need to think about the mission here. If you ditch your job because you're worried about Lizzie, then everything could go south."

"So I just have to trust you?" Reed asked, looking Crimson in the eye.

Crimson looked back. "Yes."

Reed nodded. "Alright..."

"There's one more thing." Crimson stated. "We've got some specialized equipment to work with here, including access to rare dusts. Make good use of it."

The team perked up with excitement at that. With nothing else to say, Crimson chuckled and stepped out.

Reed immediately went to look at the equipment. He found a capsule that could be fired from his gun to set up a connection between his scroll and the computer of whatever it stuck to. As Crimson had said, he also saw some rare and expensive dust types, being sure to take a few as spare ammo. Once he was ready, he went to join the rest of the group. Seeing Lizzie, he worked his way over to her.

"Hey...be safe out there, alright?" He said.

Lizzie nodded. "You too."

Reed then went to Nina. "Are you sure you're alright being here again?"

"I'm not." Nina said. "There's nothing okay about being here at all...but that's why we have to do this."

"I know." Reed pulled her into a hug. "Give 'em hell."

"A frozen one." Nina said, a little more stern than usual.

Finally, Reed went over to Crimson. "Whatever you've got planned here...it's going to work, right?"

Crimson grinned. "The best laid schemes of mice and men...it's not the plan we're counting on, it's being able to react when something goes wrong. I know I was pretty strict about the mission, but that's about keeping your head clear. If things do go south...trust your instincts, alright?"

"When did you become a tactician?" Reed joked.

"Got tired of improv, thought I'd actually have some idea what I'm doing this time." Crimson replied. "Good luck out there, Reed."

Reed nodded. "You too."


	45. Volume 2: Chapter 14

The groups began to organize based on their objectives, and Melanie was soon introduced to the other stealth operatives...including her father. He seemed to be staying back and trying to avoid the main group, but students kept pursuing him to ask different questions. Melanie approached him when he finally had a reprieve from the others.

"So...you're here." She said.

Phillip nodded. "I didn't want to be...not at first. Richard talked me into it."

"Who else did they try to get?" Melanie asked.

"Carmen...er...Crimson's mother, that is." He said. "Her doctors said she wasn't fit to go back to work, but it was her choice...she said no."

"Oh...Crimson probably would have liked to see her." Melanie lamented.

Phillip scratched his head and sighed. "Listen...I'm here for you. I know I haven't been before, but-"

Melanie hugged him before he could get another word out. "I love you, dad."

"I love you too." He hugged back. "If you get in trouble, call for me. I'll be there."

She nodded. "We're going to get him, dad...we're going to make him pay."

Phillip smiled, then looked over Melanie's shoulder at something. His eyes widened, and he backed away.

"I, uh...I need to go..." He said. "Just...need to ask Richard something."

Melanie looked over at where her dad had been looking. She saw a few people talking, barely making out Reed and Nina hugging.

"Weird." She muttered. "I've never seen him...shocked...what did he see?"

Curious, Melanie looked over at Richard and her dad, reading their lips.

"The girl with your son...who is she?"  
"Nina? She's his teammate."  
"Where did she come from?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"You have to know something about her."  
"She's an orphan...abducted by Carl when she was young, possibly even an infant. She escaped from him a few months before the school year."  
"You haven't done any genetics testing? Tried to find a relative?"  
"Phillip, what is this about?"  
"Richard, people don't just appear out of nowhere."  
"Is this about Sarah?"  
"...look at her, Richard."  
"Yes, they look similar, but that doesn't mean...you know something."  
"I've been out of it for years, Richard, I don't know what I know."  
"You've gotta stop holding back. I can't help you if you don't tell me anything."  
"I told you, I don't know...run a test, you'll get your answers."  
"When this is over, you need to come clean with me."

Before she could make out the rest, her view was blocked. Immediately, she tried to make her way back over. Her efforts were interrupted by Kane announcing that it was time to move. Frowning, she made her way over to the stealth team's airship. Her father hopped on as well, giving the signal to take off. She didn't say anything, but she knew he was still hiding something...something important. Mentally, she decided that whatever it was, she was going to find it...too many of her problems came from keeping secrets...if she had a chance to uncover something without hurting him, she had to take it.


	46. Volume 2: Chapter 15

Nina joined Stephanie and the rest of the assault group on the designated airship as it began to take off. For a moment, she spotted Melanie's father looking at her. She'd seen it before too, and heard him say her name to Richard. She shifted her way over to Stephanie and cleared her throat.

"Um...excuse me, but...do you know why Melanie's dad was asking about me earlier?" She questioned.

Stephanie gave Richard's airship a glance, before turning her attention back to Nina. "I'd say it would have to do with your relevance to the mission, but...I know Phillip a little too well for that."

"Then...what is it?" Nina asked.

Stephanie sighed. "You...look like Sarah...she was his teammate, and...his wife."

"Oh..." Nina's ears flattened a little. "Melanie told me about her once, but that's the only time I've ever heard about her."

"She was...the most heroic person I've ever known." Stephanie said. "Kind...confident...brave...intelligent...she wasn't just a leader, she was a paragon..."

Nina smiled a little. "She sounds like a good friend."

"The best." Stephanie smiled back. "Though she could be a bit of a prankster at times."

"What...happened to her?" Nina questioned.

Stephanie looked out for a moment. "Close to seventeen or eighteen years ago...there was a riot in Vale...people started attacking Faunus civil rights protesters. She wanted to protect them...all of them. She just stood there between them, refusing to hurt anyone. The rioters didn't care that she was a Huntress, or that she was being peaceful, or even that she was pregnant...they swarmed her because she was just another Faunus. By the time Phillip found her, she was already half-dead...she died in childbirth that night. Melanie never got to meet her mother. She never really got to know her father either. Phillip hasn't been the same."

"I know what that's like." Nina muttered. "I don't know my parents either...I don't know my real name, what kingdom I come from, if my parents were heroes or just backwater farmers in some unnamed village...I don't know who I am."

Stephanie gave a soft smile. "You're a Huntress, Nina. You're brave and kind, and you've dedicated yourself to helping people. There's nothing more noble than that."

"Thank you." She smiled back. "Being back here, just...it brings back a lot of those doubts."

"Then hopefully tearing this place down will restore your confidence." Stephanie stated. "You should prepare yourself...the battle is about to begin."

Off in the distance, Nina could clearly see the compound that had been her prison for so many years. The building seemed to have another branch that stretched longer out, like a strange extended corridor. Seeing the size of it, Nina could only wonder how it had been built so quickly. She shook the thought from her mind, pulling a grenade from her belt as the others began to draw their weapons. Calmly, she lowered her goggles, the air around her already beginning to cool. She was going to enjoy this.


	47. Volume 2: Chapter 16

Crimson's motorcycle was the first thing to break the tree line. It shot right past the compound, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Swerving back towards the extension, it rode up a ramped bit of the building, until Crimson was driving across the roof. Meanwhile, the airships were just coming into view. Reed leaped out of his, flying towards the roof of the main compound. There were already security guards stationed at the top, who began firing up at him without hesitation. He swooped down to land in the middle of them, drew Schultz, and cut through their armors and auras in a matter of seconds. Just as quickly, he transformed Schultz to sniper form and shot the remote hacking capsule straight at the signal tower atop the building.

"This is Reed, I have control of the network." He informed.

"Solid copy, stealth teams just landed." Melanie replied. "Shut down any defenses you can, I'll be sneaking in through the ground floor."

"Wait for the assault team, Melanie." Crimson cut in. "Nina, what's your status?"

Nina's giggle was heard through the headsets. "Making an entrance." She stated.

A moment later, the front of the building exploded in a massive fireball. Stone, glass, and metal went flying outwards in all directions. The building remained upright, but where there had been doors, there was now a hole large enough for a deathstalker.

"What was that?!" Stephanie looked at the damage in surprise.

Nina grinned. "Fire and gravity dust refined into a fine powder and packed as tightly as possible within the casing, with another layer of gravity dust between the casing and shell. The initial explosion breaks the casing and shell apart, meaning all the shrapnel is coated with gravity dust. The shrapnel embeds itself in the debris from the explosion, and the gravity dust sends it flying."

Stephanie blinked. "You learned how to do that in just two semesters?"

"Your son helped me study." She admitted. "Though I don't think he expected me to use it like this."

"Nina, that is both the most insane and brilliant application of chemistry I have ever seen." Reed stated over the comms.

"Well, when I realized I was garbage with pistols, I spent all my time in the workshop developing these." Nina explained, pulling out another grenade. "I figured, my ice is already crazy useful, what if I could do the same stuff with other kinds of dust?"

She hopped off the airship, chucking the grenade into the opening. A shockwave of electricity surged through the ground floor of the building, disabling a few of the guards. The assault began in earnest as the opening was swarmed by the heavy hitters. Nina skated between guards, seeming to move like a dancer as she turned their leverage against them. Her agility had become a major advantage, and any point of contact had the benefit of coating her enemy in ice. Stephanie, in turn, fired dust arrows with incredible accuracy to take out groups of guards at a time. Her bow's edge was bladed, allowing it to function as a dual-bladed sword. She soon proved her accuracy was matched only by her speed with the weapon.

"I found an opening." Crimson informed. "Infiltration team, we're clear to go."

Lizzie appeared with Richard and Kane. Immediately, she dropped to one knee, catching her breath.

"You alright?" Crimson asked.

She nodded. "Just give my aura a second to charge back up."

Crimson gestured to the hatch he'd managed to open, looking to Richard. "After you."

Richard drew his pistol and dropped down. "It's clear, come on down."

Kane dropped down after to see a hall full of unconscious guards and Richard changing magazines. "I didn't hear any gunshots."

"Built-in suppressor." Richard stated. "Come on."

Crimson and Lizzie dropped down, making their way though. Back on the ground floor, Melanie and Phillip were sneaking past the carnage, taking down enemies from behind. Phillip was frightening to see in action. It was like he'd disappear, and seconds later, she'd see him taking someone down without making a sound. It didn't take long for them to make it to the elevator. Phillip hit the button for the floor just below the top one, and immediately shot the emergency exit on the roof of the lift open. He climbed up, and Melanie followed him.

"What are we doing?" She questioned.

"I know Carl, the man's full of himself." Phillip explained. "His office is going to be on the top floor."

Meanwhile, Reed was crouched on the roof, still working his way through the security programs, when he spotted something in the distance. He looked through Schultz to see more clearly...there was a cloud of dust approaching. He magnified the zoom, spotting black figures within the dust cloud.

"Guys...we have Grimm approaching fast...lots of them." He said.

Crimson paused. "Does anybody have eyes on Carl?"

"Phillip and I do." Melanie said. "He's in his office, just waiting."

"Lizzie, take Kane there. Richard, join the assault group and help them repel the Grimm. Stealth team, that goes for you too. The Grimm are your new priority." Crimson ordered.

Kane and Lizzie appeared in Carl's office to see him sitting at his desk. He seemed to be waiting a bit too casually.

"Hm...Phillip, Ms. Lemay, Ms. Shaden, and...sorry, who are you?" He raised an eyebrow at Kane.

"A while back, one of your troops lost an eye. Young woman, vulgar mouth, blue eyes, and it was the left one that was gone." Kane stated. "Three guesses why I took it and where it went."

"Oh, I see. You're that brat that took Nina. Do try not to get hair on anything, will you?" Carl taunted.

Kane scowled, and his eyes glowed. "Ozpin told us what your real semblance is. I'm making sure you can't use it."

"Please, if I wanted to fight, you never would have made it in here." Carl gloated. "You all are focusing on me, when the real threat..." He turned his head to the extension of the compound. "...let's just say you missed your chance to stop it."

"Guys, something is off about this place." Crimson said. "The main building was stone, this whole structure is metal."

Melanie saw Carl grinning, and scowled. She threw the desk out of the way, hauled Carl up by the collar of his shirt, and pressed the barrel of Violet Cross against his chin.

"What did you do? What's in there?" She demanded.

Carl just laughed. She slammed the pommel into his face, his aura flaring up each time, until she shattered it, then smashed Violet Cross into his nose.

"ANSWER ME!"

On the roof, Reed looked down as the turf below the extension began shifting. "Guys...the compound is doing something, destabilizing the ground around it-"

"It's not an extension." Crimson cut in. "It's an airship." As if on cue, the whole ground began shaking as the ship began to rise. "Get over here, now! It's taking off!"

Reed immediately leaped off the roof, gliding down onto the ship. As the ship tilted, Crimson's motorcycle began to slide off, almost crashing into Reed. He managed to make it to the hatch and drop in. Seeing the structure rise, Melanie dropped Carl and ran straight for it, smashing through a window into freefall. The ship was just out of reach, and moving further away. Before Melanie hit the ground, Nina made a slide to slow her fall, and she tumbled to the ground next to her teammate.

"We can't catch up to it on foot!" Nina objected.

Melanie noticed Crimson's motorcycle laying with some other debris, and the keys to it laying on the ground right in front of her. "We don't have to." She snatched up the keys and scrambled to her feet.

The motorcycle zoomed after the ship, Melanie driving and Nina sitting behind her. They were gaining, but only barely, and it was clear the ship hadn't reached full speed yet.

Melanie judged the distance with a quick glance. "Nina, ramp, and then get ready to jump!"

A ramp of ice formed below them, launching the motorcycle up towards the ship, and at the height of its arc, the two leaped, landing with catlike grace atop the ship. Ahead, they saw the hatch beginning to shut, and dashed toward it, sliding in just in time.


	48. Volume 2: Chapter 17

Crimson's motorcycle was the first thing to break the tree line. It shot right past the compound, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Swerving back towards the extension, it rode up a ramped bit of the building, until Crimson was driving across the roof. Meanwhile, the airships were just coming into view. Reed leaped out of his, flying towards the roof of the main compound. There were already security guards stationed at the top, who began firing up at him without hesitation. He swooped down to land in the middle of them, drew Schultz, and cut through their armors and auras in a matter of seconds. Just as quickly, he transformed Schultz to sniper form and shot the remote hacking capsule straight at the signal tower atop the building.

"This is Reed, I have control of the network." He informed.

"Solid copy, stealth teams just landed." Melanie replied. "Shut down any defenses you can, I'll be sneaking in through the ground floor."

"Wait for the assault team, Melanie." Crimson cut in. "Nina, what's your status?"

Nina's giggle was heard through the headsets. "Making an entrance." She stated.

A moment later, the front of the building exploded in a massive fireball. Stone, glass, and metal went flying outwards in all directions. The building remained upright, but where there had been doors, there was now a hole large enough for a deathstalker.

"What was that?!" Stephanie looked at the damage in surprise.

Nina grinned. "Fire and gravity dust refined into a fine powder and packed as tightly as possible within the casing, with another layer of gravity dust between the casing and shell. The initial explosion breaks the casing and shell apart, meaning all the shrapnel is coated with gravity dust. The shrapnel embeds itself in the debris from the explosion, and the gravity dust sends it flying."

Stephanie blinked. "You learned how to do that in just two semesters?"

"Your son helped me study." She admitted. "Though I don't think he expected me to use it like this."

"Nina, that is both the most insane and brilliant application of chemistry I have ever seen." Reed stated over the comms.

"Well, when I realized I was garbage with pistols, I spent all my time in the workshop developing these." Nina explained, pulling out another grenade. "I figured, my ice is already crazy useful, what if I could do the same stuff with other kinds of dust?"

She hopped off the airship, chucking the grenade into the opening. A shockwave of electricity surged through the ground floor of the building, disabling a few of the guards. The assault began in earnest as the opening was swarmed by the heavy hitters. Nina skated between guards, seeming to move like a dancer as she turned their leverage against them. Her agility had become a major advantage, and any point of contact had the benefit of coating her enemy in ice. Stephanie, in turn, fired dust arrows with incredible accuracy to take out groups of guards at a time. Her bow's edge was bladed, allowing it to function as a dual-bladed sword. She soon proved her accuracy was matched only by her speed with the weapon.

"I found an opening." Crimson informed. "Infiltration team, we're clear to go."

Lizzie appeared with Richard and Kane. Immediately, she dropped to one knee, catching her breath.

"You alright?" Crimson asked.

She nodded. "Just give my aura a second to charge back up."

Crimson gestured to the hatch he'd managed to open, looking to Richard. "After you."

Richard drew his pistol and dropped down. "It's clear, come on down."

Kane dropped down after to see a hall full of unconscious guards and Richard changing magazines. "I didn't hear any gunshots."

"Built-in suppressor." Richard stated. "Come on."

Crimson and Lizzie dropped down, making their way though. Back on the ground floor, Melanie and Phillip were sneaking past the carnage, taking down enemies from behind. Phillip was frightening to see in action. It was like he'd disappear, and seconds later, she'd see him taking someone down without making a sound. It didn't take long for them to make it to the elevator. Phillip hit the button for the floor just below the top one, and immediately shot the emergency exit on the roof of the lift open. He climbed up, and Melanie followed him.

"What are we doing?" She questioned.

"I know Carl, the man's full of himself." Phillip explained. "His office is going to be on the top floor."

Meanwhile, Reed was crouched on the roof, still working his way through the security programs, when he spotted something in the distance. He looked through Schultz to see more clearly...there was a cloud of dust approaching. He magnified the zoom, spotting black figures within the dust cloud.

"Guys...we have Grimm approaching fast...lots of them." He said.

Crimson paused. "Does anybody have eyes on Carl?"

"Phillip and I do." Melanie said. "He's in his office, just waiting."

"Lizzie, take Kane there. Richard, join the assault group and help them repel the Grimm. Stealth team, that goes for you too. The Grimm are your new priority." Crimson ordered.

Kane and Lizzie appeared in Carl's office to see him sitting at his desk. He seemed to be waiting a bit too casually.

"Hm...Phillip, Ms. Lemay, Ms. Shaden, and...sorry, who are you?" He raised an eyebrow at Kane.

"A while back, one of your troops lost an eye. Young woman, vulgar mouth, blue eyes, and it was the left one that was gone." Kane stated. "Three guesses why I took it and where it went."

"Oh, I see. You're that brat that took Nina. Do try not to get hair on anything, will you?" Carl taunted.

Kane scowled, and his eyes glowed. "Ozpin told us what your real semblance is. I'm making sure you can't use it."

"Please, if I wanted to fight, you never would have made it in here." Carl gloated. "You all are focusing on me, when the real threat..." He turned his head to the extension of the compound. "...let's just say you missed your chance to stop it."

"Guys, something is off about this place." Crimson said. "The main building was stone, this whole structure is metal."

Melanie saw Carl grinning, and scowled. She threw the desk out of the way, hauled Carl up by the collar of his shirt, and pressed the barrel of Violet Cross against his chin.

"What did you do? What's in there?" She demanded.

Carl just laughed. She slammed the pommel into his face, his aura flaring up each time, until she shattered it, then smashed Violet Cross into his nose.

"ANSWER ME!"

On the roof, Reed looked down as the turf below the extension began shifting. "Guys...the compound is doing something, destabilizing the ground around it-"

"It's not an extension." Crimson cut in. "It's an airship." As if on cue, the whole ground began shaking as the ship began to rise. "Get over here, now! It's taking off!"

Reed immediately leaped off the roof, gliding down onto the ship. As the ship tilted, Crimson's motorcycle began to slide off, almost crashing into Reed. He managed to make it to the hatch and drop in. Seeing the structure rise, Melanie dropped Carl and ran straight for it, smashing through a window into freefall. The ship was just out of reach, and moving further away. Before Melanie hit the ground, Nina made a slide to slow her fall, and she tumbled to the ground next to her teammate.

"We can't catch up to it on foot!" Nina objected.

Melanie noticed Crimson's motorcycle laying with some other debris, and the keys to it laying on the ground right in front of her. "We don't have to." She snatched up the keys and scrambled to her feet.

The motorcycle zoomed after the ship, Melanie driving and Nina sitting behind her. They were gaining, but only barely, and it was clear the ship hadn't reached full speed yet.

Melanie judged the distance with a quick glance. "Nina, ramp, and then get ready to jump!"

A ramp of ice formed below them, launching the motorcycle up towards the ship, and at the height of its arc, the two leaped, landing with catlike grace atop the ship. Ahead, they saw the hatch beginning to shut, and dashed toward it, sliding in just in time.


	49. Volume 2: Chapter 18

The team ran down the hallway. Even with Crimson's efforts, time wasn't on their side. Hearing footsteps, they stepped around a corner, waiting for whoever was coming to pass. So far, no alarms had been sounded, thanks to a quick hack from Reed. He'd blocked any signals coming from the distributor maintenance center, but if they were spotted now, they could be swarmed before they knew it.

"Alabaster? That prick's aboard?" The voice of one of the guards echoed down the hall.

"Can it!" The other scolded. "You may be First Mate but he still outranks you, and with that Semblance he could be right behind us."

The man sighed. "Why's he even here?"

"If something goes wrong, he stays behind to go through with plan B so you and I don't have to." Their voices trailed off as they continued walking, not having spotted the group.

"Plan B?" Nina asked.

"We still don't even know what the main plan is." Melanie muttered.

Reed paused. "Melanie, can you get it out of them?"

She looked Reed in the eye. "But the bridge-"

"I can handle the bridge." He cut off. "Nina, go with her, you can keep an ear out while she's busy with the guard."

"Are you sure?" Nina asked.

Reed nodded. "I'll be fine. Go."

He proceeded to the bridge on his own, drawing Schultz as he approached the door. He took a breath to prepare himself, and with a simple trigger pull, Schultz lit up with electric dust. The door opened, and he dashed through, channeling electricity at everyone in the room. Everyone not wearing armor was sent flying and knocked unconscious. Those with armor had their communications fried, and likely some of their weapons. Before they even had a chance to react however, Reed was slashing away at the nearest guard, each strike delivering another electrical surge. Aiming for the gaps in the armor, it only took two hits to incapacitate the man, before Reed moved on to the next. Security had recovered from the initial shock, and tried to swarm Reed, but he was prepared. He flapped a wing into an opponent's face to stun them, before hitting them with a heavy strike. Quickly, he turned to deflect a stun baton, striking that guard in the shoulder and the leg to knock him down. When three tried to tackle him at once, he jabbed Schultz into the ground, sending a small electric shockwave to knock them off their feet, before he delivered the finishing blow to each one.

"Stay down." Reed said, sheathing his sword. "Now, let's see about stopping this ship."

He sat down behind a terminal, and attempted to access the ship's systems. A few security protocols blocked him, but he started working past them.

"I can't get into navigation or steering..." He muttered, before speaking through comms. "Course is locked in, all I can do is shut off the weapons."

He heard Crimson responding, but his voice was choppy and incomprehensible. Reed looked through the programs for a scroll jammer, but couldn't find one.

"If it's not software, it must be hardware." He muttered. "And I don't know what to shut off to fix that." He looked at the console, before sighing and standing. "At least this ship won't be dangerous to anyone that gets close...for now."


	50. Volume 2: Chapter 19

Melanie and Nina continued to follow the two guards, who they identified as the captain and the first mate, listening to their conversation. Thankfully, they were quite talkative.

"I have to say, it takes a special kind of twisted to cook up this plan." One of them muttered.

The other chuckled. "Yet here you are, carrying it out."

"Of course. Even before the White Fang went violent, Faunus were scoundrels." The captain stated.

The first mate shrugged. "I don't have a personal grudge, the logic just made sense to me. Faunus are Grimm magnets. People hate them, they hate how people treat them, all that negativity is just begging for an attack. It's really a mercy killing."

"If you ask me, they don't deserve a mercy killing." The captain retorted. "Whatever that formula does, it better hurt."

Nina's eyes shot wide open. She turned to Melanie, the request clear in her expression. Melanie nodded, and Nina bolted off. Turning her attention back to the commanding officers, she saw them enter what looked like a lounge of sorts. With a grin, she drew Violet Cross, flicked a knife into her free hand, and entered behind them.

"Are there any bagels left?" She asked casually.

The first mate responded without looking. "Yeah, they're in the-...wait, who are you?!"

They both turned, drawing their sidearms. Melanie quickly deflected their shots, stabbing the hand of the captain with her dagger and kicking the first mate's leg. Several others in the lounge bolted up, grabbing for their weapons. Nina threw an explosive dagger at a sofa where five had sat, catching three of them in the blast. She deflected more gunfire from another, closing the gap to grab the gun and slam it up into the guard's face. Violet Cross shifted to water, and lashed out like a whip, grabbing a rifle from another guard and sending it hurling at the captain's head to knock him out. The remaining guards came at her with shock batons, which she parried easily, delivering rough blows to the guts, legs, and...sensitive bits. Soon enough, everyone was groaning on the floor. Melanie hauled the first mate up and slammed him against a wall.

"What's Plan B?" She asked.

He grunted. "What?"

She threw him into a decorative coffee table, smashing it, and planted her foot on his chest. "Alabaster. He's here to carry out Plan B. Talk."

"Agh! Alright!" He shouted. "In case we were intercepted, the course was locked to Menagerae. The crew would abandon ship, and someone would stay behind to overload the core."

Melanie scowled. "The backup plan is to kamikaze the ship?"

"Right into the largest Faunus population on Remnant." The man affirmed.

She leaned down and held a dagger to his throat. "How big is the blast? How many would die?

The man started chuckling. "How many? Kid, nobody's surviving that blast. We're not talking estimates here, we're talking no more island."

Her eyes widened. "You can't be serious..."

"Can't I?" He questioned. "Think about it. Ghira Belladonna is the only positive public image the Faunus have left. With him dead, and the entire island gone, all that's left is the White Fang. Sienna Khan would have nothing holding her back anymore, and she'd strike out in rage. The public would turn against Faunus faster than ever, and any evidence linking Carl Strikz to the attack would be gone. It's all just cold simple logic."

Melanie backhanded him with a deactivated Violet Cross, knocking him out. Wordlessly, and without hesitation, she ran out...she had to find Crimson.


	51. Volume 2: Chapter 20

Nina rushed to the room Crimson had indicated to be the storage tanks. When she heard what the man had said about a formula, she had to check...she had to be sure. She remembered what Alabaster had used on her. It _had_ hurt, and it had almost killed her. Ozpin had let her look at the medical files...she knew what had been put into her, and what it did. As if in confirmation of her hunch, the room she was set up in looked more like a lab than storage. She saw tanks full of a dark gas, and all sorts of chemical testing equipment around. Spotting a computer, she ran over to it and began looking through the research notes. It was the same nerve agent, or rather, a far more deadly strain of it. She began looking through the components, seeing what was different, until she came across something.

"Is that...dust?" She muttered.

Looking back at the tanks, she saw that indeed, wind dust was being pumped into them, likely to keep the compound suspended in its gaseous state. She went back to the computer and pulled up the ship's layout.

"Come on, dust is used in everything, it's easier to keep it all in one place." She looked through until she found dust storage. "Got it!"

She ran out the door, right into a passing patrol. They raised their weapons, but she quickly froze them in place, skating off.

"No time, gotta fix this." She said to herself. "All those tests, those samples, all that time as his lab rat..." She gritted her teeth. "He used me to make this...I've got to destroy it."

She skated through another patrol, this time cannon-balling into the group from behind, and using her agility to take them down. They tried to grab and fire at her, but she was too fast, kicking and clawing away at them, then freezing them while they were down. She made it to dust storage, where a full security detail was already stationed. They opened fire on her immediately, forcing her to roll behind cover. A guard rushed her from either side with stun batons, but she caught both weapons, freezing them solid and shattering them. She kicked the guard to the right in the groin, and maneuvered behind the one to the left to use him as a shield from the shooters. With a scream, she charged the nearest shooter, throwing her human shield into the guard to knock them both down. Sliding under a pipe, she popped up to rapidly freeze the gun of another shoulder, before leaping into a spinning kick to his head. Spotting one last guard, she lobbed a grenade at his feet, and it melted through the ground beneath him, causing him to fall into the room below, before the grenade would knock everyone in that room out with a concussive shock-wave.

"And to think...I used to be scared of these guys." She joked.

Turning back to the dust, she approached a console that seemed to lay out the dust distribution. It showed what was going where, how to change it, and even an option to mix dust types.

"Okay, wind is being sent to...A/C...payload distribution...payload storage! That's it!" She went to disconnect the dust, but paused. "That won't neutralize it...but freezing it on a cellular level could." Hesitantly, she selected the mix option, and connected it to water. "Water and wind make ice...ice is introduced into the formula...the formula becomes inert. I...I did it." She allowed herself a smile, before looking at something else. "Where are all these dusts going?" She saw that they were all connected to the ship's core. "But...only energy dust should be going there...something's not right."

She frowned, and ran off, looking to investigate what was really going on at the core.


	52. Volume 2: Chapter 21

Zachariah sighed. He was seeing damage reports from the distributors, the weapons had been disabled, he couldn't contact the captain, and now ice dust was being funneled into the nerve gas.

"Well, it was gonna happen somehow." He muttered, activating the alarms.

Abandon ship messages began blaring, as security completely disregarded the intruders in favor of saving themselves. It was right outside the entrance to the core that all four members of the team ran into each other.

"I think I can disable the rest of the ship if I can get in there." Crimson stated.

Reed nodded. "The security protocols can only be accessed from in there, all I could do from the bridge was shut off the weapons."

"It's a makeshift bomb." Melanie cut in. "Alabaster's going to crash it into Menagerae and wipe the island off the map."

"There's enough volatile dust going in there to do it." Nina confirmed. "Their original plan was to spread that Faunus nerve agent, but I think I managed to destroy it."

"Good work, all of you." Crimson said. "If Alabaster is really in there, we need to work together to take him down. Keep an ear out for team maneuvers, and watch each other's back. I think he has a harder time with his semblance if he doesn't have something to draw your attention away." With that, Crimson turned to the door. "Let's kick his ass."

Zachariah watched the countdown to impact with a solemn expression. He knew it might come to this, and he was prepared. What he wasn't prepared for was a sudden slash from behind, which he barely dodged. It was immediately followed up by a swing from a katana, which came even closer to striking. At this point, he knew the dust sword would swing at his legs, so he flipped over the attack, drawing his gun to shoot the icy shards that Nina was already firing at him.

"You kids...are remarkably persistent." He flicked his pistol into dagger form. "It's annoying."

"Cold feet!" Crimson shouted.

Zachariah barely dodged the stream of ice attempting to trap his feet, but a water tendril from Violet Cross snagged his leg and slammed him against the ground. He rolled back up to his feet and began firing at them.

"Canopy!" Came the next command.

A roof of ice and wall of water protected the group, holes opening up for only a second as each one would fire through at Zachariah, forcing him to keep moving. He ran up a wall and back-flipped to fire straight down at the ice roof until it shattered.

The group dispersed before Crimson even gave his next command. "Hot potato!"

Three pillars of flame arced towards Zachariah, but as he dodged, an electric bullet whizzed through, stunning him long enough for a grenade to detonate in his face. He was launched across the room, crashing against the far wall. His aura flickered with the hit.

"Your team attacks are puns?" He questioned. "Why don't I give you something to joke about?" He turned his gun to the core and fired.

The initial blast sent him flying again, but this time the team didn't take advantage of it. They had more pressing concerns. A blast of flames shot forth from the core, but Crimson managed to divert it to either side of the team, where it dispersed harmlessly.

"We need to vent the energy out of this thing, before it detonates!" Crimson shouted. "Reed, they were using it as power! Can you channel the energy out in bursts?!"

Reed looked around the room. "Where?!"

Crimson caught another blast of flames, and sent it up into the roof. Then, he used a beam of gravity dust to punch a clean hole.

"Up there!" He pointed.

With a nod, Reed caught a surge of electricity and shot it through. He continued repeating this process as Crimson vented the flames.

"Melanie, can you sense water below us?!" Crimson asked.

She nodded. "We're high up, but just barely!"

"Go to that console! It should function as a master control!" He ordered. "You want to bring us to a full stop, and land in the water!"

She ran over, focusing on her task. The flames and electricity that Reed and Crimson were venting began surging up more quickly.

"Now comes the hard part..." Crimson muttered under his breath. "Nina, you need to freeze the core! Reed and I are going to put everything we have into draining it, but if you can't stabilize it, it'll blow!"

Nina began focusing her semblance, sending as much frost and ice as she could at the core. Her stream of cold was melted before it even made it halfway.

"It's not working!" She shouted.

Reed met her eyes. "Keep trying, I know you can do it! Your semblance is an extension of your soul! You just need to believe!"

They felt the ship shake as it landed in the water. As they steadied, Melanie placed a hand on Nina's shoulder.

"We've got your back, Nina!" She stated in support.

Nina nodded. "And I've got yours!"

Her aura flared up white as she started pouring as much cold as she could into the core. The room became colder and colder...the flames became thinner, eventually dissipating. Soon after, the electricity stopped too. The cold continued to press against the unstable core, and as the temperature began to decrease, Nina's aura began to shift in color. Her white flashed with sparks of yellow, darkening to a silver...and then even darker, as her ice became even colder. Frost began to grow at her feet, her breath turning to mist, and her teammates could feel the cold too. Her aura hit black, and it seemed her semblance couldn't get any colder. The core was overwhelmed, ice sprouting around the crystals, encasing them...there was no more heat...no more danger.

Nina collapsed to her knees, chuckling between bated breaths. "I did it."

Melanie helped her up. "You did."

"We all did." Crimson stepped in.

Reed smiled. "You know, I thought we'd finally be celebrating catching Strikz...but this...saving hundreds of lives...this feels better."

"Yeah..." Crimson grinned. "Yeah, it does."

Melanie gave Crimson a nudge. "I'll let you explain this mess to the grown-ups. I could use a nap."

Nina yawned. "Yeah, me too. I feel like I can actually sleep soundly tonight."

"Alabaster escaped." Crimson observed.

Reed put a hand on Crimson's shoulder. "We'll get him next time. And even if we don't, look at what we did here today. This is what we signed up for...saving people."

Crimson looked up. "Yeah...come on, let's get top-side and find a way to signal for help. They've gotta be looking for us."

* * *

A few days later, the team had finally returned to Beacon. They'd been debriefed, and soon after they were informed of what had happened while they were gone. Once they made it to their dorm, they finally had a moment to rest.

"Can you believe we missed a Grimm invasion?" Nina asked.

Reed chuckled. "We assisted in a high-profile arrest and prevented a catastrophic terrorist attack. I'd say our mission was just as important."

"Personally, I'm fine with RWBY getting the spotlight." Melanie stated. "Last thing I want is to be swarmed at lunch by all the people that got boring missions."

Crimson ran a hand through his hair. "I'm still...processing everything...I mean, we did it. We actually...did it..." He looked distant for a moment. "Maybe I'm just tired, but...I thought I'd feel...different."

Melanie gave him a concerned look. "Could be shock or exhaustion...let's just relax and take it easy till the tournament, alright?"

"Yeah...sounds like a plan." Crimson closed his eyes and laid back. "Feels like ages since I just...relaxed..."


End file.
